Star Fox: Annihilation
by John Storm
Summary: 8 years of peace after the devastating Lylat War with no one to fight, has made the system weak and the Star Fox team in bad shape. When a mission to explore Sauria comes from Fara that ends with the discovery of Cerinian named Krystal and the rise of an ancient Cerinian with a grudge against Corneria. Can Star Fox recruit help and gain the power to defeat them? Please R&R
1. Prologue

Oh boy, here we go, a new story, welcome to my longest project ever Star Fox: Annihilation. This is a project I've been excited on for a long time and I'm happy to have the opportunity to at least try to write it out. This will be, hopefully, one of my best projects.

This story is based on a video game idea I had with the same name, Star Fox Annihilation. It follows the story I had pretty well with minor adjustments and adds in, so it'll obviously be long. The game was supposed to be open world, in a manner of speaking, similar to Mass Effect. Had to add in some romance scenes to make it work as a story, so we'll see if that works. I figured it'd be easier to do a story of the game than to actually have it turned into a game. 

An important note, this story begins with Star Fox Adventures but that is only a minor part of this story, it'll lead into the main story pretty quick. So please do not stop reading after the ending of Adventures, it'll keep on going for a while after that.

This story also elements from one of my favorite original stories Fox's Unknown Daughter, mostly OCs like Daria Wilson - McCloud, Vixy Phoenix-McCloud, and Lord Zathora the Multiverse God of Destruction, and other characters. It also has some story elements from it as well, but I won't reveal those for now. I hope y'all enjoy those as much as I did.

Originally, this prologue included a scene with Zathora, receiving a vision of a coming threat, the main storyline. Unfortunately, I was having problems writing it out, so I decided to move it back to a later chapter, preferably shortly before Star Fox arrives on Corneria.

BTW, there are Verians in this story who belong to my friend Wingcommander Whitewolf. I don't really plan on describing their appearance much and I'm sorry about that. At best they'll play a minor role.

P.S. as I'm working on this story I may occasionally work on other stories so this work may progress slowly. I'm also trying to get through a very long period of writer's block. If it does I'm sorry for that. 

Hope you enjoy the story.

* * *

Prologue

8 years after the Lylat Wars

Corneria, Military Headquarters

Fox yawned softly as his Arwing cleared the Cornerian atmosphere, ignoring the flames that surrounded him, knowing his shields kept him safe. Within moments the shields had the flames put out, leaving the Arwing untouched. Once the shaking stopped, Fox corrected his heading towards the Cornerian capital visible in the distance. Even though it was an easy flight Fox still had to concentrate on flying so he didn't fall asleep while flying.

"Fox, I'm going to make you pay for keeping me up so late." Peppy's angry voice crackled over the radio making Fox jump in his ship.

Fox turned his head to see Peppy's Arwing following close behind him. His Arwings was still smoking from exiting the atmosphere a little but the shields cleared that up quickly. In a moment, Peppy was flying right beside Fox, but far enough apart so they didn't accidentally collide. Fox could still look out his cockpit and see Peppy rubbing his eyes.

"It's not that late, Peppy." Fox shouted back, checking the clock in his cockpit. "It's only 2330."

"That's why I'm upset, it's way past my bed time."

"True, you've gotten so old that you're in bed by seven."

Fox heard Peppy laughing on the other head, making him smirk. "You're not wrong, I'm getting too old for this."

"Too old for what, the mercenary life or being up past eight?"

"Very funny foxie boy, you're lucky I don't knock your disrespectful ass out of the sky."

"Yeah, yeah, save it for the next training session old man." Fox smirked back sarcastically, getting a laugh from Peppy.

Despite wanting to continue their little spat Fox and Peppy remained quiet as they flew over Corneria. After a few minute the Cornerian Military Headquarters comes into view, flying just high enough to see it as Fox radioed for permission to land. From their position they could see the entire base, even though it was dark. Looking down Fox spotted the landing zone only to nearly gasp when he saw how full it was. Fox counted at least ten assault class battleships, seven support cruisers, and two massive carriers. To him it seemed as if an entire fleet had been massed at the base, which that could be exactly what's happening for all Fox knew. From what Fox could see the landing zone was so full there didn't appear to be a place to land.

"For this late there sure are a lot of ships docked." Peppy said over the radio.

"I know, if I didn't know better I'd say that Corneria's massing a fleet for an invasion."

"From the rumors I've heard they probably are."

"Oh, what rumors have you heard?" Fox asked, looking out his cockpit window at Peppy as he flew.

"Just stuff I've heard from my last poker night with Pepper, Presicent Stanford, and your step mother. Stanford mentioned something about massing a fleet to end the Venom threat once and for all."

Fox nearly gasped into the radio. It was well known throughout Lylat that there was still remnants of Venom's once great army scattered across the system, many still causing trouble. Even eighth years after the Lylat Wars had ended there were still Venom soldiers fighting solely because they didn't want to admit defeat. Currently, they were little more than a nusiance, many considered them just pirates or gangs. Hunting them down was Star Fox's main contract assignments and they'd been very effective at it.

"Why would they do that?" Fox shouted into the radio. "They aren't even a major threat, and sending an entire fleet just to wipe out one group is huge waste of resources."

"You'd be right if that's what they were doing. Pepper informed me that it's more like a task force fleet devoted to wiping out the Venom threat. From my understanding the Task Force will bounce from planet to planet till they've secured it from the Venomians."

"But, that'd take months if not over a year to achieve. And from what I see it looks like they're sending at least a quarter of Corneria'scfleet on this assignment. Seems like they're going for overkill on this."

"They're just trying to be ready for anything, Fox, you know from experience that the Venomians can be unpredictable." Peppy scolded Fox.

"I know, still seems like overkill to me. What really concerns me is that if those rumors are true than we'll basically be out of business."

"That was my concern to, I don't know why they're doing this now when they've had eight years to deal with the problem."

Fox sighed. "Their reasons don't really matter, what does is how this effects us. We should be careful and consider other options till we know for certain."

"Fortunately, we got this job to focus on for now, whatever it is."

Fox nodded as their permission to land cleared. They both immediately flew down as quickly as they could to the landing area. Fox and Peppy landed as close as they could to the headquarters building, unfortunately, due to all the land and space craft docked at the time, they were positioned on the other side of the base. Neither was happy about having to walk nearly a mile to reach their destination.

"Things seem a little quiet, even for this time of night." Peppy spoke up as they climbed out of their cockpits.

"The message I received from General Pepper did say that the traffic and guard duties will temporarily be lessened for our visit. So, I'd be surprised if we ran into too many people."

"Huh, that's strange, even for Pepper, he's usually a stickler for security. Whatever he wants to discuss with us must be important."

"That's what I figured to. Whatever it is we won't find out standing here, let's get moving."

Fox and Peppy begin walking across the runway to the headquarters, neither of them saying a word as they walked together. They kept a steady, quick pace to avoid attention and distractions, but both of their minds were in different places. Fox couldn't say what was on Peppy's mind but he was focused more on the current state of the Star Fox team and on a certain pair of vixens he'd prefer to keep quiet about. Knowing it wasn't the appropriate time to think about such things Fox pushed the thoughts out of his mind.

To Fox and Peppy the place seemed almost too empty. Other than a few roving patrols there was no one else around, which only aroused Fox's suspicion even more. His mercanary instincts naturally kicked in, making him survey everything and everyone, even though he knew it was unnecessary being on a friendly military base.

"What did the message really say Fox? I don't believe that crap you gave Falco and Slippy one bit." Peppy said, breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure I should tell you, the message came across as confidential. I had to tell some BS story to keep them from getting suspicious. You know how nosy they are."

"True, but you shouldn't lie to your team like that, it makes them less likely to trust you in the future."

"I know Peppy, but I'm sure they'll forgive me once they get paid." Fox replied as they passed through security, showing their mercenary badges to get through.

"Yeah that's probably true. Now, what did the message say."

"Uh, you want all of it or just the important parts? I'm not sure how accurate it'll be since I'm recalling from memory."

"Just what you remember will be fine."

Fox let out a sigh as they entered the main building. "Well, the message was stated as confidential, I think that goes without saying. You know my policy on accepting confidential messages but it was from General Pepper so I agreed to read it . The message was short and to the point, the way I like it. From what I remember it stated that an important government contract company needed our assistance with a top secret project emergency. Other than giving us the time and place of the meeting, and to keep the meeting as confidential as possible, that's all the message said, well th."

"Really, that's the message said?" Peppy said, crossing his arms.

"Pretty much, that's what I remember from the top of my head. It was pretty vague, more than what we usually get from Pepper."

Fox and Pepper spotted a duo of soldiers up ahead, patrolling the base from the looks of it. They stopped talking as the soldiers approached them, not wanting to be overheard, wanting to keep their conversation as private as possible. The soldiers barely noticed them as they were deep in conversation themselves, talking about a rave they recently attended from what they were saying. Fox and Peppy said hello to the soldiers as they passed who only waved back.

"That's odd, I've known General Pepper for decades, he's never been vague or subtle." Peppy said once the soldiers were far enough away. "For him to send is a message like that it must be something really bad or maybe he wants to keep it top secret, as confidential as possible."

"I was thinking the same thing. Normally, I would've turned down a request like that, but the payment included in the message was too good to pass on."

"Oh, how much were we offered?"

Fox leaned in close to Peppy and whispered, "Ten million."

Fox fought back a laugh as Peppy gasped. "Seriously, that much for an contract we don't even know what it is yet?"

"Yes, but that's just the down payment, an additional will be discussed after we're briefed."

"Huh, sounds a little too good to be true." Peppy replies, scratching his chin.

"I know, that's why I replied that we'd at least listen to what the contract is before agreeing to it."

"Smart, normally I would suggest we pass on something like this, but the money's too good to overlook. The Great Fox, and us, certainly need the money, even if you won't admit it."

Fox sighed, knowing full well that what Peppy said is true; at the moment the Star Fox team was NOT in the best condition. Though the Lylat Wars certainly made the system - wide heroes it effected them pretty negatively. While the Lylat Wars certainly cleaned up the bad guys circulating throughout the system it also eliminated almost all of their business; well, business for honest mercenaries anyway. Without Venom running amok, and very few pirates or gangs, business for Star Fox hadn't been abundant to say the least. Though there was plenty of business out there at least two - thirds of it was, as Fox put it, dark work, stuff that he considered dishonorable. Because of the lack of business the Star Fox team has recently seem some very bad lack of funds. Currently, Star Fox barely had the money to even keep the Great Fox running, even their Arwings were starting to be effected by it. As a result Fox was starting to get a little desperate for money, the idea of ending the Star Fox team had recently popped into his mind.

"Unfortunately, Peppy, at this point I can't afford not to admit it. We need the money, there's no question about that." Fox said with a sigh. "So, I don't think we have much of a choice but to accept the contract."

"Well, there is one other option that you're not considering. We can ask you - know - who for help. I'm certain she'd be more than willing to help us if you ask nicely."

"You're talking about Fara Phoenix?" Fox blurted out. "As much as I'd like to, and I think she'd be more than willing to help us, I'm not comfortable asking her for money."

Peppy shook his head in disappointment. "Fox, what have I told you about pride? If you let your pride get in the way it could harm the team."

"Pride has nothing to do with it Peppy. I got no problem asking for help when I need it, you know that."

"Then why not ask Fara for help? Sh could have the Great Fox running better than ever."

"Because, with the way things ended between us it wouldn't feel right to ask her for that kind of favor. You know how things ended between us, asking her for money feels like overstepping I'd be overstepping my boundaries, or something like that." Fox answered as calmly as he could.

"I thought that things ended well between you two. Last time I checked Fara and you were on speaking terms and often hangout together."

"We do, but that's only as friends, nothing more at the moment. So, please, drop it Peppy."

Peppy sighed as he walked side by side with Fox, with a dozen questions on his mind but kept them to himself. As much as Peppy wanted to continue drilling Fox with question after question, he knew it wasn't the appropriate time. The way things ended between Fox and Fara certainly were not something to just bring up, especially on a military base on their way to the confidential meeting with the gods know who. Peppy was determined to bring it up again, just later.

"Hey, Fox, did the message say who would be there?" Peppy asked as they entered the main building.

"No, that was never mentioned. For all I know my step mother could be there."

"Now that would be awkward, half of the meeting would be a briefing and half Shelby trying to convince you to let Daria join the team."

Fox smirked a little. "I'll take that over Fara's nagging any day."

Fox and Peppy turned the corner, both laughing quietly to themselves, only to almost bumping into the vixen standing with her back to them. They jumped back to avoid running her over only to freeze when they saw who it was. Looking right at them, mostly at Fox, stood a gorgeous fennec fox vixen. Her green eyes glared at Fox, sending shivers down his spine. At first, Fox didn't know whether to be turned on or scared, he never did with that particular vixen. It didn't help that the vixen looked beautiful but tough, as she always did. The vixen was wearing a grayish suit combined with a long skirt that went a little past her knees. The suit did little to hide her natural frame, especially her fine ass which was very pleasing for Fox to look at. It was strange seeing the vixen in such an outfit, Fox always considered her to be a tomboy. Fox quickly pushed the thoughts out of his mind before the vixen got angry with his starring.

The fennec vixen crossed her arms under her ample busom, glaring at Fox and Peppy. "Fox, Peppy, it's been a long time.

Peppy nodded and returned the sentiment but Fox remained frozen for a moment. Seeing the particular vixen standing before him was something he wasn't expecting. It didn't help that his heart was beating rapidly as it always did whenever she was around. Even after all the time they'd known each other, and the long time they were together, Fox still couldn't help acting like a fool around her.

After a moment Fox was finally able to speak. "Fara, it's nice to see you again, but what are you doing here?"

"As clueless as ever Fox. Who do you think called your team here?"

"Wait, that was you?"

Fara rolled her eyes and replied in a sarcastic tone. "Yes, had to get someone I trust that wasn't completely incompetent. Couldn't find someone who fits both and could handle the job I need done so I turned to you."

Fox shook his head, trying hard not to laugh at Fara's statement. Fara had always been good at teasing him, even in serious situations. However, what Fara said did have some truth to it, even though Fox would never admit it. But it seemed like everyone else he knew would say something like that, especially Falco, Fara, and Daria.

"As demeaning as ever Fara."

"Nah, only to you, Fox." Fara answered, then playfully poked Fox's nose. "Someone has to keep you on a leash, might as well be me."

"Huh, lucky me, getting teased day and night by the CEO of one of Lylats largest companies."

"As much as I appreciate the compliment it's assistant CEO. Apparently, part of my job is making sure you don't screw up and get into trouble, which should be Peppy's job."

"Hey, I don't get into that much . . ." Fox started to speak till a scowl from Fara stopped him. "Ok, maybe I do get into trouble, occasionally, but you know you enjoy looking after me."

"No, I don't, that is NOT a fun job at all and you know it."

"Oh, then why do you keep an eye on me then?"

Fara nearly growled at Fox, but instead walked up to him, smiled playfully and said. "One word, Fox, Vixy. I got to keep an eye on you for her sake. Vixy would never forgive me if her idol died."

"Oh, I thought it was because you still loved me."

"Whatever you gotta fell yourself to sleep at night."

"As much I hate to interrupt," Peppy shouted getting the attention of the two foxes. "Can we please get down to business? You two can flirt after we discuss whatever business you have for us Fara."

"Oh, my bad boys, you both know how I get carried away sometimes." Fara replied back with a giggle while Fox laughed to himself. "Now, follow me boys, what I have to discuss with you is best said in private."

Fara turned around and walked down the hallway, leaving Fox and Peppy a little confused and intrigued with what she had to offer. Fox's attention immediately fell on Fara's rear, swaying back and forth as she strutted down the hallway. The dress seemed to only amplify the movements of her already gorgeous, plump rear, forcing him to focus harder on the pleasent view. He knew she was shaking herself on purpose for him, she always did to tease and arouse him, but Fox wasn't about to say anything about it.

 _Damn that woman has the finest ass of any vixen I've ever seen. Must be something she really wants for her to be shaking it this much._

A quick pat on the back of the head from Peppy awakened Fox from his trance. "Save the hanky panky for later Fox, try to focus on the job."

"Sorry, Peppy, that woman knows how to distract and attract me."

"That's not hard to do, any women with a big rack or plump ass could get your attention." Peppy said, smirking a little. "So, I guess we're working for your ex now, Fox?"

"Hardly the first time we've done that, the pay is always good and the contracts are almost always simple recon missions."

"Unless you count the investigation over Macbeth last year."

Fox sighed, then whispered to Peppy. "That wasn't Fara's fault, the Intel she had wasn't fully complete, and they had a Venom spy in their company. It wasn't that bad of a contract."

"Tell that to the hole on the Great Fox, it cost a fortune to fix the damage."

"I'm well aware of that Peppy, but it wasn't Fara's fault, she wouldn't purposely lead us into danger."

"I think we both know why." Peppy said, smiling devilishly at Fox. "On a different note, I can't help but be curious of what Fara's proposal is."

"Same here, usually Fara calls me, we set up a meeting, discuss the details, and that's it. This is completely different, getting the military involved can't be good."

"Never is when the military's involved. That's why we should be cautious, never know what they're hiding."

Fara suddenly turned around and starred right at Peppy, making them stop just outside of the briefing room. "Just so we're clear, I don't purposely withhold information from you, haven't on any of the contracts you have done for me in the past."

Peppy looked at Fara shocked. "Uh, how much of our conversation did you hear?"

"All of it." Fara replied, pointing to her large ears. "These come in very handy. Now, can we please hurry, what we have to discuss is very important."

Fara spun around and continued walking down the hallway without saying another word. Both Fox and Peppy remained where they were for a moment, Fara's action caught them both off guard. The urgency she spoke in only increased their caution.

"Now you know how part of the last six years have been for me." Fox said as he walked past Peppy, following Fara.

Peppy remained in his spot for a moment before continuing after Fox and Fara. _I got a very bad feeling about this, something big is going happen, I can feel it._

To be continued.

* * *

What is the contract Fara Phoenix and General Pepper have in store for Star Fox? What happened between Fox and Fara in the past? 

Hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a review as any help to improve the story will be appreciated.

If anyone has any questions, please either PM me or leave a review and I will answer as best I can.

This is John Storm signing off, Stay Frosty y'all


	2. A New Mission

Here we go, the next chapter of Star Fox: Annihilation. Man, I'm really looking forward to this chapter. I don't know why but I got a sudden passion for this story. 

This chapter introduces several things from my previous story Fox's Unknown Daughter, like Vixy Phoenix - McCloud, and Fox's relationship with Fara. 

A little heads up, I'm not very familiar with the legal proceedings of custody, and there's a scene in this chapter about that. I'm working on my limited knowledge and I apologize ahead of time if I get things wrong. 

It'll be obvious in this chapter that is has the beginning of Star Fox Adventures to the part where General Scales throws her off of his ship. Don't worry, Adventures is only a minor part of this story. This story will go far beyond Adventures. And yes, I copied the dialogue and actions in Adventures. Oh, and I skipped part of the opening scene to make the chapter shorter and easier, nothing important, just gameplay (particularly the part where Krystal went into the ship.

If I get something wrong I just want to say I'm sorry ahead of time, it's been a while since I've played the game. 

Hope you enjoy the chapter

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Chapter 1: A New Mission

"Fox, it's good to see you." General Pepper shouted as Fox, Peppy, and Fara entered the conference room.

"Nice to see you too General." Fox replied with a sleepy, half smile and a nod.

Peppy walked around Fox and shoot General Pepper's hand. "It's been a long time old friend, how have you been?"

"Fine, but really boring. Sure Lylat's experiencing the longest peace in its history, but without someone to fight I'm afraid the planet will grow weak. Other than that, things are good, but often quite boring."

Fox and Fara made their way around to chairs while Peppy continued to stand and speak to Pepper. The conference room was small, given it was usually housing a small group of high ranking military officers, Generals, and politicans; only one large, circular table sat in the center with office chairs positioned around it. Fox had only been in the room a few times, given its military nature where Generals discuss war strategy. Looking around Fox could see that the room was sound proof to keep people outside from hearing what was discussed inside, as well as other security features he didn't recognize; he guessed for bug/espionage detection. He heard the rumor that the room was so secure that a person could fire a gun in there and no one outside would hear it. Being inside told Fox right away how important the contract General Pepper wanted to speak about was.

General Pepper's statement reminded Fox of the old saying "Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times." The current state of the Great Fox was proof of that statement, the ship had certainly seen better days. Lylat was certainly experiencing an in between time, the war had indeed created strong men like Fox to fight Andross and end it. With the war over and rebuilding all but complete times were getting better and Corneria was prospering. Peppy stated a few weeks ago that he had never seen the Cornerian military so strong, and it both worried and amazed Fox, he knew it was only a matter of time before something happened; and Star Fox would most likely be paid heavily to solve it. Even though Star Fox profited heavily from war, particularly the Lylat Wars, Fox didn't wish for war.

"I imagine you've taken quite a few naps at your desk then." Peppy said with a smirk.

"I wish, but that's not possible. Too much paper work and an insane amount of boring meetings keep me working."

"That's what I figured, with no war your days are probably just reading contracts and signing orders. But that didn't stop you from taking naps in the academy."

"Didn't stop you either if I remember correctly." General Pepper replied, getting a short laugh from Peppy.

"Uh, if you two are done reminiscing we got business to attend to." Fara shouted, getting the attention of everyone in the room.

Fox couldn't help smirking, thankfully no one noticed. Fara was still her old self, wanting to get straight to the point and business with little small talk. It reminded Fox of the days they were dating, she was more action and less talk, and that still appeared true. Remembering the time they were together brought a smile to Fox's face, though he still tried to hide it so the others wouldn't notice, but a glimpse from Fara told him otherwise.

"Fara's got a point, we can save the reminiscing for after the meeting." Fox said, getting a nod from everyone.

"Plus, it is past all of our bedtimes." Peppy added, getting a laugh from Fox and General Pepper, and a headshake from Fara.

"I agree, the contract comes first, reminiscing later. This contract is very important, to many people." General Pepper stated. "Just so we're clear, this contracts is clearly confidential. Only your team is allowed to know the details."

Fox nodded, "I figured that'd be the case when your message stated the unusual meeting perimeters."

"Good, the less people that are involved the better. So, let's get right to the point. What do you know about the planet Sauria?"

The question caught Fox off guard, taking him a moment to reply back. "Well, I don't know much, other than it's a planet on the outskirts of the Lylat System. I know it's nicknamed Dinosaur Planet because it's populated by Dinosaurs. That's all I know other than rumors, and I don't believe them."

"Is Sauria where the contract sends us?" Peppy asked.

General Pepper nodded. "Yes, it is. Not much is known about the planet, there are still lots of mysteries about it to us. Doesn't help that we've had little success speaking to the locals, mostly due to language barriers and the fact that they prefer isolation. Fara can explain things better than I can."

Fox looked at Fara both shocked and not surprised at the same time. He knew Fara was there for a good reason, he just didn't expect it involve Sauria; Space Dynamics has their hands in nearly everything after all. On the other hand, Sauria was viewed as such a mysterious and insignificant planet by the General public that for Fara to see value in it was surprising; maybe she knew something they didn't.

"What do you know about Sauria, Fara? You have satellites orbiting the planet?" Fox asked.

"Of course, Space Dynamics has five of them observing Sauria. The problem is that Sauria has such a strange energy that the satellites have a hard time observing much of anything. We have very little information than pictures of the surface."

"Maybe the dinosaurs are more technologically advanced than you think." Peppy stated.

"No, we know for a fact that they are still a primitive people. Only the race we heard called Cloudrunner's are slightly advanced, and not by much." Fara responded, shaking her head. "From what we've observed the people are quite primitive, but there's something very strange that our best scientists can't explain. Somehow, we've observed advanced structures that far exceed the technology of the people, almost beyond our own."

"Uh, you've lost me on that one, Fara. What are you talking about?" Fox asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I kind of figured that'd be your response. What I mean is that we have observed strange structures on the planet that far exceed the skill and knowledge of the natives. My satellites have also detected strange energy around the planet. My best scientists can't explain either. It all gets very confusing and it doesn't help that we hardly know anything about the planet at all."

"And that your explanation left more questions than answers." Fox replied, getting an angry glare Fara. "So, what does this have to do with the mission? Are you going to have us do some research work for Space Dynamics?"

"No, I wouldn't have called you in for that, I got others for such assignments. What I'm asking from you is much more important."

"And what is that, the old cliche of saving the planet?"

"If what our satellites have detected lately is accurate, yes, that is mostly likely what you'll have to do." Fara answered with a sarcastic smile.

"Oh, you're serious?"

"Yes, but our readings haven't had the most reliable data so we're not certain what is going on there. All we know is what our satellites have detected, and it's quite unsettling."

"And what is that, Fara?" Peppy asked.

"Long story short, very unusual and strong seismic activity has been detected on the all over planet. From our readings the activity is the strongest ever recorded, and I mean throughout all of Corneria's recorded history. Stronger than the earthquakes that demolished Macbeth three decades ago."

"Okay, I got no words for that." Fox said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm assuming these quakes are having devastating effects."

"If they were earthquakes, yes, the planet would be destroyed beyond repair. But from our readings these are definitely not earthquakes."

"Then what are they?" Peppy asked.

"Well, that's the strange part." Fara replied, appearing to take a moment to gather her thoughts. "The only way I can think to explain what is going on is to just come out and say it. Sauria is literally coming part, slowly."

Fox and Peppy's jaw suddenly dropped, getting a smirk from General Pepper and a laugh from Fara. "Uh, are you sure about that, Fara. If it hadn't come from you I would ask what the hell you're smoking."

"And then you would've gotten bitch slapped, Fox. It'd be easier for me to show you what I mean." Fara said as she picked up the remote to the hologram projector.

Fara turned on the hologram projector, revealing the planet Sauria. The hologram shows Sauria divided into multiple, large sections, seemingly based on the environment and terrain. Each section seemed to be separate from the others with nothing appearing to connect them. From the hologram Fox could make out how Sauria comes together like a puzzle piece. Fara pointed to the hologram, at one of the sections. "You see guys, Sauria is divided into multiple different environments, or chunks if you want to call them that. Each of these chunks is unique and comes together to form Sauria. We believe it's the planets energy that holds these pieces together, otherwise the planet would come apart, literally."

"Let me guess, the energy holding these chunks together has weakened and that's causing the planet to split apart?" Fox asked.

"Uh, yes, how did you guess that?"

"I went with the most obvious and cliche guess given the information you've given us."

"I guess you are smarter than you look . . . and act." Fara smirked as looked back at this hologram. "From our readings the chunks are moving apart very slowly, the energy is still strong enough to keep the planet from splitting apart immediately."

"How quickly is the planet seperating?" Peppy asked.

"At our current readings, around an inch an hour. But as timd goes on the energy is weakening and the chunks speed up. Thankfully, it's happening very slowly so there's still plenty of time."

"Unfortunately, Sauria is on the other side of the Lylat System and the energy around the planet prevents ships from jumping there. So, getting there quickly is a problem." General Pepper stated. "Fortunately, Fara has recorded all of the information for you to review."

Fox sighed as he looked around the room from Fara and Peppy. All of the information, and lack of, was a lot to take in for one session. The more information Fara gave him the less he seemed to understand, let alone the fact that he found the whole planet floating apart to be a bit far fetched. If the information hadn't come from Fara he would've just laughed; she's never lied to him before and he trusted her completely. Fara had always done right by Star Fox and made sure they got paid handsomely for their efforts.

"That's quite a story and a problem. I'm not really sure what to say." Fox said, crossing his arms. "So, what exactly is the mission then?"

"Unfortunately, that's harder to explain right now as we don't have a lot of Intel on the situation." General Pepper replied with a sigh. "Right now, you are to head to Sauria and simply investigate the problem."

"Ok, and just how do you propose I do that?" Fox asked, with a little anger and sarcasm in his voice.

"Speak to the locals, they're bound to know what's going on."

"Uh, last time I checked the Saurians don't speak our language and don't exactly like outsiders, at all. You expecting me to bring an interrupter or something?"

"If I remember correctly, Fox, the last time we hang out you mentioned something about Slippy developing a universal language translator?" Fara spoke up, getting everyone's attention.

Fox fought back a smile as remembered their last meeting. It was nothing more than a friendly meeting, though it was still awkward given their past relationship. He was surprised she remembered him mentioning Slippy's new invention, they had a few drinks but not that many, and discussed a lot of business. Then again, Fox remembered he shouldn't have been surprised, Fara had a near perfect memory, that often worked against him.

"Yeah, I mentioned it, though I'm not sure it's ready. Slippy's putting the finishing touches on it, so it might be ready by the time we arrive at Sauria." Fox said, smiling as he remembered Slippy jumping with excitement when he explained it to him. "He said that once finished it'll be loaded with every language that Corneria has recorded, and will translate both ways."

"Hm, that's pretty impressive, will it be done by the time you get to Sauria?" Fara asked.

"I think so, he's working on the finishing touches. But, right now I'm more concerned about the contract. You're telling me I'm just randomly supposed to randomly arrive on the planet and somehow investigate? That's not a lot of information for me to go on."

"I understand Fox, there's a lot of confusion, even we don't fully understand what's going on. But we do know a few things about some of the locals. Particularly the Earthwalker tribe, they'll be your best bet to figure out what is going on."

"Ok, and what can you tell me about them?"

General Pepper picked up a document on the table and handed it to Fox. "This document contains everything we know about the Earthwalkers. I suggest you spend time reading it."

"I would if this document was bigger. I can read through and memorize this in ten minutes, if that." Fox replied.

"I know, we haven't spent much time on Sauria. The planet is still a mystery to us. That's why this mission is mostly an investigation, we don't need you going around shooting things up . . . and hopefully it doesn't come to that."

"That doesn't exactly leave us with a lot of room." Peppy added.

"No it doesn't, or whatever I'm supposed to do other than talk to the Earthwalkers." Fox replied then shrugged his shoulders. "Hopefully they at least know what is going on."

"They should, they know everything that's going on there. That's why I recommend starting there." General Pepper stated. "Oh, and before I forget, Fox, you cannot bring your blaster, or any other weapon on this contract."

Fox's jaw dropped, getting a laugh from Fara. "WHAT, why?"

"Because Sauria is a peaceful planet, and we want to stay on good terms with the natives. Bringing a blaster could complicate and misinterpret matters.

"And this is not a combat mission. Chances are very low that you'll need any weapon." Fara added. "If I'm wrong then I'll be more than happy to compensate you."

"IF I survive you mean?" Fox replied sarcastically.

"You will, we've survived worse situations together, crossing the Black Hole to Venom remember?"

"True, those were the days."

A sigh from General Pepper got their attentions. "If you two are done reminiscing, we have one more matter to discuss, one that Star Fox will find VERY important."

"Ah, I assume you mean payment?" Peppy said.

"Yes, and this time you'll have two sources of income."

Fox looked at General Pepper confused. "Two sources of income?"

"Yes, one from Space Dynamics and the other from the Cornerian military." Fara explained. "Basically, for investigating you'll get a payment from me and IF you fully solve the problem you'll get a payment from Corneria. I can assure you, both will be very substantial."

"Ah, I get it, basically the more we do the more we get paid." Peppy said.

"Makes sense to me, but how much money are we talking about?" Fox asked.

"Fifteen million credits from Space Dynamics once you report back to us the problem."

"And an additional fifty million if you save the planet." General Pepper added. "So if I were you I'd consider completing the mission."

Hearing the amount they'd possibly be paid, Fox's jaw nearly dropped and Peppy gasped. That was a MUCH better offer than any contract they've gotten in nearly eight years. Even though it was considerably less than amount they got paid for saving Corneria in the Lylat Wars it was more than enough to repair the Great Fox and then some.

"With that kind of money involved I'd be a fool to refuse." Fox said, extending his hand to General Pepper. "We'll take the contract."

Fara shook her head. "Old reliable Fox, always thinking about money."

General Pepper smiled as he stood up and shook Fox's hand. "Glad to hear it, Fox. How soon can you leave for Sauria?"

"Not long, give me time to get supplies and some much needed rest and we'll be ready."

Fox hide his smile well as he looked back and forth between Fara and General Pepper. To him the whole mission sounded like easy money, almost as if he was robbing the government. The contract sounded way to easy for the amount of money Star Fox would receive upon it's completion. Whatever's happening on Sauria must be very important to the Cornerian government for them to make such an offer.

 _Still, something doesn't feel right about this contract, I got a strange feeling that something's going to go horribly wrong._

X

"Man, that was an unusual briefing." Peppy said as he and Fox walked down the hallway, past the front desk.

"Tell me about it, just having Fara there was awkward. I thought the contract was going to be recovery in a pirate or Venom infested region."

The briefing had Fox feeling uneasy to say the least. Something didn't feel right about it in his gut, and his gut was never wrong. Maybe it was the lack of information that made him uneasy, or an uncertainty of what exactly he was supposed to do. Didn't help that Fox felt like there was a lot more to the contract than was discussed in the briefing. Though it sounded easy, Fox couldn't shake the uneasy feeling.

"At least the mission should be simple, hopefully."

"I highly doubt it. Fara's contracts are rarely simple, there's always something waiting for us." Fox responded.

"Do you think she was holding something back?"

"No, Fara doesn't hide things from me, especially when it comes to missions. If there was something dangerous she would've told us."

"I suppose you got a point." Peppy replied. "Still, something doesn't feel right about this."

"I know, but we can worry about that later, right now let's get go home and get sound sleep."

"I can agree to that."

"Hey, Fox, over here." Fara called from behind Fox and Peppy, causing them both to turn around. "We need to talk in private."

Fox nodded and waved back. "Alright, I'll be right there."

Fara smiled slightly and turned around, entering the conference room. Fox hesitantly turned around and began walking to the conference room. He knew what Fara wanted to speak about and it didn't make him feel very comfortable, she was always serious on the subject.

Peppy grabbed Fox's shoulder, stopping him. "Fox, let me give you some advice I gave your father. Screwing on a military base is a bad idea. Your father did that with your mother, and your step mother a few years later. It's a bad idea all around."

Fox rolled his eyes at Peppy. "That's not what Fara and I are going to do. Fara's too much of a screamer for us to do it here anyway, and it's be awkward for a divorced couple too keep hooking up. Besides, you saw the look on Fara's face, she has something serious to discuss."

"Oh, I thought that you and Fara still hooked up, despite being divorced, my bad."

"That was one time, Peppy, and even though it was great it was still awkward. We haven't had sex since then, or even kissed."

Peppy sighed, softly. "I didn't think you'd ever regret a hook up with Fara."

"I prefer to keep those matters private. What I do with Fara is our business. I'm not implying that we actually do hook up, we don't as our relationship is purely professional right now, we have to or things could get complicated."

"Ok, I thought that you two were working things out so you could be a married couple . . . again."

"We're trying but things are going slowly. I'm not comfortable talking about that." Fox replied then looked at Fara, seeing her standing in the conference room alone, waiting for him. "I got to speak with Fara before she gets mad. I'll see you back at the Arwings soon."

"Alright, take care Fox and be careful."

"There's no guarantees with Fara." Fox joked as he patted Peppy on the shoulder.

Fox walked away from Peppy to the conference room where Fara was waiting for him. With Fara he knew the conversation would last awhile, especially if the subjects what he thought it was. Thankfully, Peppy was a patient man, to an extent, it's often impossible to tell with Fara.

Fox closed the door, leaving him and Fara completely alone. "I think I know what this is about . . . little Vixy."

"Of course, this contract complicates our custody schedule. I wish the timing was better but this mission is important."

"Me too, I noticed your expression during the meeting. You did well trying to hide it, but I saw through it. You're good at hiding your emotions, but during our four years of marriage I learned to read you like a book."

Fara crossed her arms angrily and glared daggers at Fox. "If that was true we'd still be married. Thankfully, that's not the issue here, that awkward conversation can be pushed to a later date."

"You're right, as always, we got to discuss our situation with Vixy."

"Not really much if you look at it from my perspective. Tomorrow your custody week of Vixy starts, well technically now seeing that it's past midnight, and you have an urgent contract that requires your immediate attention."

"Uh, it sounds to me like you're about to make a decision I'm not going to like." Fox replied.

"No, that's not the case. You see, Fox, just from a parent perspective, this contract interferes with our custody agreement of Vixy. We agreed two years ago over the custody of our daughter, and this coming week is your turn with her. However, this contract interferes with our agreement as Vixy would be going with you on a potentially dangerous contract."

"I see your point, even though this contract has been ranked as a low risk, it's still no place for a little girl. I understand your concern, completely. I think it'd be best if we postpone Vixy's custody with me for a bit, at least until this contract is over. That way, she'll be safe and I can give her my undivided attention."

Fara smiled slightly at Fox. "Wow, Fox, that's a very mature and wise decision. You see, you are capable of making good decisions."

"Are you being serious or are you making fun of me?"

"I'm being serious, Fox, once you put your mind to it you can do the right thing, instead of just blundering around like you usually do."

"Honestly, I don't know if I should be complimented or insulted about that." Fox responded with a smirk. "But, that's not the problem right now. As much as I hate to say it, things are looking like we'll have to postpone my custody till I get back."

"Hm, as much as I like this mature attitude, I do not think that'd be a good idea. Vixy is REALLY looking forward to visiting you and I hate to disappoint her."

"I know but it's just not safe for her to be on the Great Fox during a contract. You said that a few months ago during the Macbeth raiders contract."

"That was combat mission, of course I wouldn't allow Vixy to go on a mission like that." Fara shouted before calming down. "Besides, this contract is just an investigation. If anyone's going to be in danger it'll just be you, Vixy will be safe and sound aboard the Great Fox."

"Uh, are you sure about that? We're taking about Vixy here remember, I don't know how safe she'd be on board."

"Well, I know that the condition of the Great Fox has been . . . deteriorating lately, but I know that Vixy will be safe on it. The Great Fox won't even be in danger on this contact, it'll be safe in space."

"The only one in any real danger is me, which is fine with you." Fox added sarcastically, getting a smirk from Fara.

"Of course, nothing unusual there. Plus, Vixy will have Peppy and Slippy looking out for her."

"Don't forget Falco, he's still on the team."

Fara rolled her eyes and groaned. "Don't remind me. I'm sure you get my point, Vixy will be safe while you're out risking your life."

"I do, I'm just surprised you're recommending the idea. You're the overprotective parent after all."

"One of us has to be." Fara joked. "I'm certain Vixy will be fine, if you don't mind taking her along with you."

Fox thought about it for a moment, the idea of having Vixy on board the Great Fox seemed like both a bad and good idea. Vixy would potentially be at risk during the contract, even though given the circumstances it seemed highly unlikely. Plus, Vixy was always troublesome and curious, which could end badly and bother Slippy, Peppy, and Falco. However, Fox knew that she'd be pretty safe on the Great Fox and under the watchful eye of his crew. Peppy was good at watching her and Slippy always kept her entertained. Vixy always brought life to the ship and the crew as well. The bonding time they'd have together gave Fox the incentive he needed to answer Fara.

"I don't mind Vixy tagging along, she always enjoys her time aboard the Great Fox."

"I figured that'd be your answer, I would've been shocked if you had said no." Fara replied with a smile before turning serious. "Oh, and a warning, if even a single hair on Vixy is harmed I will personally launch you into the sun."

Fox fought hard to hold back his laugh. "Don't worry, she'll be safe on the Great Fox. Peppy and Slippy are good at looking after her. Besides, you know I'd gladly give up my life to keep Vixy safe."

"I'm going to hold you to that, Fox, cause if Vixy gets hurt you'll wish for death."

Fox sighed with slight smile and said in a sarcastic voice. "You really have me high on priority list."

"No duh, I hate to say it, Fox, but compared to Vixy you're pretty low on my priorities. Plus, we've been divorced for three years, that plays a small factor."

"I know, it doesn't really surprise me. But you have nothing to worry about, Vixy will be safe and well taken care of."

Fara's face suddenly turned from serious death glare to a slight smile. "I'm just making a point, Fox. Vixy is very safe with you on board your vessel, and she always has a blast."

"I try to be a fun parent, to make sure she never leaves the Great Fox without a smile on her face."

"Obviously, if anything you do it too well. But, we'll discuss this another time, when things aren't busy."

"Alright, that works for me." Fox responded, then looked at the ground for a moment before saying in a nervous voice. "Hey, Fara, I'm just curious, is there any chance we'll ever be back together?"

Fara lowered her head, appearing to considering her response. "Honestly, I don't know for certain. I'd be lying if I said that there wasn't a spark still between us. I want us to be together, mostly for Vixy's sake, but also because I think I still love you. But, things are just . . . complicated right now for both of us. So, I think that for now we should just focus on the current contract and hope things settle down."

"As much as I hate to say it, I agree. We'll get through this contract and work things out from there."

"Of course, we got a lot to work through but no current time to do it." Fara replied, patting Fox on the shoulder. "At least things can't get more complicated."

"Never say never, Fara."

"Very funny Foxie." Fara giggled, then put on a serious look. "What time are you expecting to leave for Sauria?"

"I haven't thought about it, but now I think it'll probably be around noon by the time I pull the Great Fox out of orbit."

"Alright, that's plenty of time. I'll bring Vixy to the Great Fox around eleven. In the mean time I suggest you get some sleep, things are going to be busy for both of us."

"I intend too." Fox replied with a yawn. "I'd better get to Peppy before he falls asleep in his Arwing."

"Of course, I'll see you with Vixy in a few hours then." Fara said, then leaned towards Fox, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight Fox."

Fara turned around and walked away before Fox could reply, shaking her hips with each step. His eyes followed her hips meticulously as his hand touched his cheek where she kissed him. It wasn't till Fara was out of the room that Fox realized she was just teasing him, the kiss was just a motivation and tease. Most likely it didn't really mean much of anything, it'd probably be best if he forgot about it for the moment.

 _Damn that woman is one heck of a teaser, almost as bad a Katt._

* * *

Sauria

From the depths of space, a girl named Krystal searched for the truth of her parents' death. Finding herself within a lost corner of the Lylat System, she received a distress call from a world known as Dinosaur Planet. Being of a kind nature, Krystal decided to investigate.

Krystal held on tight to the Cloudrunner's neck as they flew through the storm. Though they were flying above the storm, over a mile above the surface of the planet, she felt no fear, even though she could easily fall to her death. Her mind was focused on other things that demanded her attention, and on recent events that had led her to where she was.

"I received a garbled distress signal. It said something about a mountain hidden in a storm." Krystal screamed out over the rain in the Cloudrunners's native tongue, which was nearly identical to her being similar to Cerinian. "Whoever they were, they were in great danger!"

Krystal suddenly heard what sounded like a loud roar coming from behind her over the thunder. She turned her head and what she saw approaching froze her on the spot. Out of the clouds appeared a large ship with a roaring dinosaur head. The head roared loudly, almost causing Krystal to have to cover her ears. It looked like an old-fashioned pirate ship, minus the sales, with engines to keep it flying. But what scared Krystal was the head, somehow it was alive and roaring at everything near it. The ship seemed to be alive and very aggressive.

 _What in the hell is that thing?_

Krystal could sense the evil onboard the ship, she knew it wasn't an ally, nor did she have any intention of being friendly towards it, eve though she preferred . The evil sensation on board the ship was so powerful that Krystal's spine shivered, didn't help that she sensed an aggressive nature on board, directed towards her. Getting as far away from the ship became her top priority.

Before Krystal could turn the Cloudrunner away a fire projectile launched from the ship, towards her. She grabbed her staff from her back and raised it as the projectile neared her. Before Krystal could activate her staff the projector was on top of them, leaving no time to dodge. She raised her staff just in time to block the projectile but the impact knocked out of her grasp.

"MY STAFF!" Krystal shouted as she watched her precise weapon fall to the surface.

Anger filled Krystal's body as she turned the Cloudrunner towards the ship. Though her friend was reluctant to fly towards such a large, enemy ship he obeyed. She did the best she could to position them behind the ship, hoping they didn't have any artillery, or whatever it was they fired at her earlier. No sooner did Krystal get behind the ship more fire projectiles launched at her. Krystal shouted as the projectiles flew at them quickly but with poor accuracy. With nothing to fight back with they were strictly on the evasive side; they're only real option was to keep dodging and hope the projectiles didn't hit or they ran out of ammo. Even though they were a small target Krystal knew eventually they'd get lucky, leaving them with risky options or retreat.

"Get in close, hopefully they won't fire once we're within their proximity." Krystal ordered.

The Cloudrunner screeched as it dove towards the ship, barely dodging the incoming projectiles. Some come so close that Krystal felt her fur being burned off. Thankfully, her "pilot" was manueverable and very good at dodging the incoming projectiles. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck as he avoided the projectiles with ease, but not too tight to avoid choking him. The guns didn't stop firing till they were almost touching the ship.

 _At least they're smart enough to not fire when the target is so close they'd probably die too._

Once the guns stopped the Cloudrunner flew in close and over the deck. Krystal looked over the deck, expecting to see tons of enemies but saw no one. She directed the Cloudrunner to land and it reluctant obeyed.

They land on the railing and Krystal jumped off. "Thanks for helping me. I can't take it from here."

The Cloudrunner screeched its reply then flew off, leaving Krystal alone. Tension filled her muscles as she looked around the deck finding it strangely empty. For such a large ship there should be a big crew on board, instead she wasn't sensing anyone. Something did feel right at all about the situation, sending shivers down her spine.

 _What is going on here?_ Krystal thought as she slowly walked across the deck. _This feels like a trap._

Suddenly, the door to the captain's quarters flew open with such force that Krystal felt the breeze from her position on the deck. What came out of the room shocked her even more; the largest Sharpclaw she'd ever seen. The Sharpclaw easily stood seven feet tall and was bulging with muscles. His left hand was missing, replaced by two long, metal claws. He truly was a fearsome sight, and Krystal could sense he would be a tough opponent. The Sharpclaw sprinted and jumped over the stairs, landing a few feet away from Krystal, causing her to jump back. He certainly didn't lack bravado or dramatic flair. She could nearly smell the rage and arrogance coming from him, it made her spine shiver as she starred him down, obviously taking in her beauty.

"General Scales, ruler, tyrant and dictator of Dinosaur Planet. What brings you to my world?" The Sharpclaw shouted over the thunder.

"I'm not here to fight you. I'm only here of because of a distress call."

"A distress call? This whole planet is in distress." General Scales laughed as he turned around and walked up the stairs.

"The Cloudrunner told me about you, the Evil General." Krystal shouted and pointed at General Scales.

"My girl, I am not evil. I rule over the many dinosaur tribes. You see, I must control this planet with fear. Otherwise, the tribes always try to fight against me."

General Scales shook the cage holding the baby Cloudrunner, causing it to shriek in fear. Anger filled Krystal's mind, she wasn't about to stand there and watch him abuse a defenseless being.. She rushed the man, covering the distance between them in a flash. But, General Scales seemed to have been expecting her reaction, catching her by the throat. Krystal gasped as she felt General Scales' strong hand around her throat, grabbing his wrist to break free but to no avail.

"You dare to challenge me?" General Scales shouted with authority.

General Scales dragged Krystal across the deck of the ship, laughing as she fought back against his grip. She struggled against his hold on her throat to the best of her ability but he was too strong. He dragged her across the wooden floor with little effort as she tried to scream but his grip as too strong, and the wood boards scrapped against her back side. Krystal wanted to fight back but nothing she did worked, she was at the mercy of a monster. Deep in her mind Krystal couldn't escape the fear that the guy was taking her to his cabin for adult fun, that scared her even more than dying.

General Scales laughed as he stopped at the edge of the railing. "No one can defeat General Scales!"

He lifted Krystal up, holding her at his eye level, before throwing her off over the railing. Krystal screamed as she flew back, finding herself falling down to the planet's surface. Her entire life flashed before her eyes as she fell, knowing death was certain. She closed her eyes, ready for whatever the afterlife had for her.

 _Father, mother, I'm sorry I couldn't avenge you._

Suddenly, Krystal, felt herself land on something, knocking the wind out of her. She opened her eyes slowly to see that the Cloudrunner had caught her on his back. Didn't take her long to realize that her friend had caught her, she was going to thank him big time when they looked up, seeing how close the ship was, and realized she'd only fell for a couple of seconds. Krystal smiled as she indicated for the Cloudrunner to fly up who reluctantly obeyed her. General Scales immediately came into view and he looked shocked and furious to see her still alive.

"Bad luck. General. Maybe next time!" Krystal shouted, sticking her tongue at General Scales as she turned the Cloudrunner away from the Sharpclaw ship.

"THIS ISN'T OVER!" General Scales called out as Krystal flew away.

Krystal ignored General Scales as she flew away as fast as the Cloudrunner could fly and soon the Sharpclaw ship was little more than a dot in the distance. She hated the thought of running away, especially from someone so evil, but she knew that there was little choice. Without her staff she stood no chance against such an enemy; he beat her with little effort, and if it wasn't for the Cloudrunner she would've plummeted to her death. As much as Krystal wanted to fly back and kill General Scales she knew it'd be a suicide action. Deep down, Krystal knew she'd see him again, and next time she'd be ready. Besides, she had more important things to worry about, the distress signal being her main concern.

Krystal, feeling the Cloudrunner's fear, patted his neck to calm him down. "Let's find the source of the distress signal."

To be continued.

* * *

Star Fox is about to head to Sauria, but it'll be one heck of a long journey. Things might be difficult with Fox and Fara's daughter Vixy tagging along. Meanwhile Krystal has arrived on Sarua, what is waiting for her there?

I am sorry if I had some trouble with making this chapter, I had some difficulty writing it out, I fee like I should state that again.

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	3. Captured and FatherDaughter Time

Here we go, the next chapter of Star Fox Annihilation. This chapter seemed to flow better than the last, I enjoyed writing it out a bit more. 

This chapter begins with the opening scene of Star Fox Adventures, when Krystal arrives at the Krazoa temple. It has my own twist on it, which I hope is good enough. I'm sorry if it's not very good, it's been a while since I've played the game. Sorry if my description of the Krazoa Palace is vague and the game play lacking. 

I did have some trouble writing out Fox and Vixy's scene, I'm not a father so it's a foreign concept to me. But my parents are divorced so I do understand that. 

I know earlier I said that Falco was on the team but I decided to change that to make the Farwell Beloved Falco comics related to the story, as well as the ending to Star Fox Adventures. I'll try to fix Falco's earlier status so that the story doesn't contradict itself.

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 2: Capture and Father/Daughter Time

Sauria

Krystal gasped as the Krazoa Palace came into view, even from a distance it was a spectacular sight. The palace was massive, appeared to be as big as a mountain with several towers and sphires extending from it. Krystal had never seen anything like it, even on Cerinia, the palace looked older than the temples in her home planet. As they got closer, Krystal quickly pushed her amazed thoughts aside, she had other matters to think about.

"I wonder if this is where the distress signal is coming from?"

The Cloudrunner didn't answer as it neared its approach. Krystal held on tight as her ride leaned back and extended his claw as he landed on the balcony, griping the railing. The rain made the railing slippery, giving the Cloudrunner a hard time holding on.

"This is Krazoa Palace." The Cloudrunner shouted over the rain and Krystal jumped off his back. "If you go inside, be very careful. This is the Dinosaur's most sacred place.

"I will, and thank you."

The Cloudrunner took off leaving Krystal alone to figure things out. She sighed as she looked around at her current situation. She knew that there had to be a way inside the palace but saw no clear entrance, the one there was happened to be blocked by a reinforced gate that would take a blast from her staff to get through, which she didn't have. To get inside she needed to find another entrance, and get out of the rain, Krystal was tired of being wet. To make things worse she could spot several floating tentacle-looking sports around the balcony, no doubt guarding the temple. Looking around Krystal could see their effectiveness as several dinosaurs she heard the Cloudrunner call Earthwalkers lying dead around the balcony, at least she guessed they were from the spirits guarding the place.

 _Okay, why can't things ever be simple?_

Krystal jumped off the railing and ran over to the nearest cover she could find to get a closer look at her surroundings to find an entrance. From her hiding spot she could see very little, but enough of the surrounding to see no real entrance within her reach. There was little option but to explore and find a real entrance, but the enemy presence complicated things. She knew to proceeded the Krazoa Tentacle had to be taken out, but without her staff she stood no chance in that; her only option was to sneak and/or avoid them.

Out of the corner of her eye Krystal spotted a strange barrel that seemed to be out of place. She carefully made her way to it for a closer look, avoiding detection as she snuck over. Upon closer inspection she saw that the barrel was more like a container, and shaking it gently she determined it was filled with some kind of liquid.

 _Huh, a fire barrel, same as on Cerinia. Pretty obvious what these are here for._

Krystal picked up the barrel, thankfully it wasn't very heavy, and quietly approached the Krazoa Tentacle. Once she was close enough she threw the barrel as hard as she could at her enemy and hit it directly, causing the barrel to explode taking out her target. As soon as the barrel exploded Krystal heard another barrel being loaded up from the floor in the previous one's place. She shrugged and grabbed another and threw it at the barrier blocking her way down, blowing it apart and giving her access to lower balcony.

Krystal made her way down to the lower balcony only to find more Earthwalker bodies and a couple of Krazoa Tentacles floating around, but no entrance. She was starting to get frustrated with no visible entrance, other than ones that seemed to require her to climb, which she wanted to avoid in the rain. Instead, she carefully made her way down the ramp for a more serious look around the balcony for any sign of a entrance, even if it is hidden. She snuck around the Krazoa Tentacles till she was at the wall. Krystal looked around confused till she saw a crack in the wall and a light shining through.

 _Maybe that's a way in, but I'll have to break through._

Krystal looked around for a fire barrel, seeing none but remembered there was one nearby. She ran back up to the upper balcony till she found the barrel again. Though she was beginning to run out of steam she picked up the barrel and jogged back to the crack. She threw the barrel at the crack in the wall, hitting it direct. The fire barrel blew a small hole in the wall large enough for Krystal to walk through. She saw that the hole entered a hallway.

Krystal squeezed through the hole and headed down the hallway, checking every shadow and corner she spotted. The place was massive and maze-like, full of twists and turns that could easily get a person confused and lost. To make things worse Krystal would occasionally run into traps or the Krazoa Tentacles, at least the traps were easy to avoid and her enemies weren't hard to take out as there was usually a fire barrel nearby for her to use, though Krystal wished she had her staff which would've made things much easier. She began to lose track of time, she couldn't guess how long she was down there looking for some clue and she was beginning to get frustrated.

At the end of a long hallway, Krystal saw another Krazoa Tentacle floating around, appearing to patrol the halls of the palace. To make things worse it was moving along the hallway she needed to proceeded down, and there was no way around it. Just as Krystal was about to turn around she spotted a fire barrel conviently located in a corner. Without hesitating, Krystal grabbed and lifted up the barrel to her shoulders and proceeded down the hallway towards her enemy. She nearly ran towards it, carrying the barrel and waiting for the right moment to throw it. The barrel threw through the air and hit her enemy directly, exploding in a ball of fire, evaporating the spirit with it.

 _Is it just me or are the spirit things too easy to kill?_

Krystal proceeded deeper into the palace, moving at a slightly slower, cautious pace. The deeper she went into the palace the more dangers she came across, and the higher her fear rose. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching and waiting for her, and the feeling grew stronger the deeper she went. Krystal kept going by pushing by focusing on avoiding traps and enemies, though after the last one she hadn't come across any.

After what felt like forever, Krystal came to a long hallway and froze when she saw what was waiting for her. Up ahead she saw three more flamethrower sets embedded into the wall with a small opening in the floor, obviously with something inside. An Earthwalker would have an incredibly hard time getting through but Krystal had a much better chance. Though going through all the traps and the maze was starting to annoy her.

 _Oh great, more traps, I'm hating the builders of this place already. I'll take this as a sign I'm getting close._ Krystal growled.

Krystal took a deep breath and readied her stance for a sprint once the flames presented an opening. She was tired of being careful when it was unnecessary, nothing had come close to injuring her yet. As soon as an opening presented itself, Krystal sprinted forward as fast as she could. She dodged the first flame easily, clearing it well before it set off again. The second flame, however, set off just as Krystal was aligned to it, causing her to run just a little faster to avoid becoming a marshmallow. She barely avoided the flame only to realize that the final set had already turned on, blocking her path. Krystal didn't stop, but instead continued towards the flame, bending down to gather strength before attempting to leap over it. She jumped as high as she could, barely clearing the flame and rolled on the side, jumping in celebration of her success. Krystal suddenly smelled smoke, so she looked behind her and saw a flame on her tail. She screamed started swatting her tail to put out the flames, and ran around in circles. Thankfully, the flame was small, making it easy to extinguish, but still scared Krystal. She was certain everyone in the palace heard her screams.

Once the fire was out Krystal proceeded deeper into the palace, only to stop when she found herself at a dead end. The hallway seemed to end, even though it was clear to Krystal that she needed to proceed further. She had to figure out a way forward, maybe some secret trick or method would work. Looking around Krystal saw a small, circular platform in one corner and a fire barrel in the other.

 _Okay, maybe I can use that barrel as a weight to hold down the sensor._

Krystal ran over to the barrel, picked it up, and carried it over to the platform. She placed the barrel down on the sensor and immediately was rewarded with the sound of something opening. Krystal turned around to see a secret door opening behind her. She almost jumped in celebration.

Krystal entered the room cautiously, spotting another tentacle spirit flying around the room, thankfully it didn't appear to have noticed her yet. Looking around the room she spotted almost nothing, till her gaze fell upon an Earthwalker lying in a corner. At first, Krystal paid it no attention, after seeing so many bodies on her way in, till she noticed its chest slowly rising and lowering.

 _What, he's still alive? I've got to get to him._

Krystal knew she'd have to take out the tentacle spirit first, so she ran back hoping to find another fire barrel. She ran through the traps finding it much easier without a barrel, no flame came even close to her. Sighing with relief to find another barrel waiting for her at the dispenser.

 _Thank goodness, now for the long haul back._

Krystal grunted as she picked up the barrel and started the long walk back to the room. Dodging the flames again, carrying a barrel, started to exhaust her. Krystal was in good shape, even by Cerinian standards, but running and dodging traps while carrying a forty pound barrel of explosives was testing her limits. It took a lot out of Krystal to avoid the traps and make it back to the room. She was running out of strength at that point, nearly dropping the barrel to catch a breath. But to make things worse the tentacle spirit seemed to noticed her and change direction towards her.

 _Great, I can't even seem to catch a freaking break._

Krystal lifted the barrel up to her shoulders and waited till the tentacle spirit was close. When it was close enough she threw the barrel with everything she had, hitting it. The barrel exploded, taking out the spirit but the explosion was close enough yo slightly burn Krystal's eye brows. She just shook it off and ran to the Earthwalker.

Krystal kneeled down next to the injured Earthwalker's head. "The Krazoa . . . need your help . . . they are dying."

"Was it you who sent the distress signal?"

"When we were attacked, I sent the signal for help. We were massacred."

"But what were you doing here?"

"The King Earthwalker sent us to protect the sacred palace . . . home of the Krazoa." The Earthwalker coughed. "The Krazoas are peace spirits . . . powerful beings that bring life to a planet. Without the spirits our planet is dead."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"My girl, only the pure of heart can take the tests. Enter the Krazoa Shrine, once inside, complete the Spirit's test and await your reward. If you succeed then return to me. I'm not going anywhere."

Krystal stood up a little less confused but more worried than what she was when she entered the palace. The Earthwalker gave her little answers but left more questions, confusing her even more. She chalked it up to the Earthwalker being injured, which would leave him unable to explain much. Krystal hoped she'd get real answers soon.

She approached the platform and slowly stepped on. As soon as she stepped on the platform began rising up like an elevator to the next floor, stopped at an opening to a hallway. She leaned forward, checking for enemies and saw none, and no clear direction. Krystal thought of turnoff back, but quickly pushed that thought out of her mind.

 _Guess I got no choice, I've come this far might as well keep going._

Krystal took off towards the shrine with some reluctance in her step. Every step she took into the palace only made her more cautious, she still couldn't shake the feeling that something was waiting for her. But, her kind nature, and desire to save the planet kept her going.

After walking a bit Krystal came to the end of the hallway to find herself staring at another shrine. Looking around, she saw no way forward and no clue as to what to do. Going back wasn't an option, she had went down the only direction possible. The only things around her was a shrine and a strange platform that glowed an eerie blue color.

 _Okay, what am I supposed to do now, step onto that platform?_

Krystal shrugged as she stepped onto the platform, guessing that's what she was supposed to do. As soon as both of her feet were on the platform she found herself being dematerialized and transported someplace else. She rematerialized on another platform in a strange room an instant later. It took a moment for the shock to wear off and for Krystal to continue onward. Her mind was a little foggy from the trip but that faded once her mind was cleared. Krystal proceeded down the hallway, only to stop when she saw what laid before her. The hallway ahead was, no surprise, boobytrapped. Krystal counted another group of flamwthrowers on the wall along with an open pit in the floor, she couldn't tell what was in the pit.

 _Seriously, more traps._

Not seeing any other option, Krystal reluctantly determined it'd be best to push onward. After her tail got set on fire she was certainly going to be more cautious. Krystal cautiously sprints forward, ready to dodge at a instant. She kept as far away from the flamethrower as possible, pressing her body against the wall and waiting for the right moment to move. As soon as the flames stopped, Krystal sprinted forward avoiding the flames with ease. She repeated the process two more times, successfully avoiding the flames, before arriving on the other side. None of the flames came close to burning her, but she knew there was more ahead.

Moving forward slowly, Krystal come to a small pit in the floor. She stopped in her tracks upon seeing a Krazoa Tentacle floating around in the pit. Not seeing a barrel nearby, or having a weapon, she knew she'd just have to dodge it. Krystal waited till the Krazoa Tentacle was on the other side of red pit before she slid down the ladder. No sooner did her feet hit the floor than the Krazoa Tentacle see and change directions towards her. Krystal sprinted the short distance and leapt as high as she could onto the next ladder as her enemy closed in on her. She climbed up the ladder as fast as possible and pulled herself to safety just in time to avoid taking a blow.

 _Feels like this whole place is designed to rip me to shreds or push me to exhaustion._

Krystal stood up after catching her breath and stuck her tongue at the Krazoa Tentacle before continuing her way forward, only to stop when she saw what was blocking her the doorway before her. The doorway was blocked by a strange, red energy that prevented Krystal from continuing forward. In the middle of the door was what appeared to be a skull and crossbones displaying the number one. A quick look around told Krystal there was no other way around, she had to figure a way past the door.

 _Okay, I guess I'm supposed to kill some enemies, maybe the number displayed. Hopefully I'm right and that'll open it._

Krystal grabbed the barrel and lifted it to her shoulders. She walked to the edge and took careful and guessing as she watched the tentacle spirit floating in her direction. With what strength she had left Krystal threw the barrel as best she could at her target. The barrel flew through the air at a bad angle towards her enemy, causing her to think her aim was off. Fortunately, the barrel hit the spirit on the side, exploding and taking the spirit with it. As soon as the spirit disappeared, Krystal heard the life force door open up behind her.

 _Huh, that was almost too easy._

Krystal ran through the door and into a large, empty room, only to stop when she saw what was waiting for her. The spirt was smaller than what she expected, barely bigger than her and glowed a strange blue color. The head looked just like the shrines she'd seen on her way but with long tentacles dangling down from its body. Krystal saw a lot of similarities between it and the tentacle spirits floating around the palace, at least it wasn't hostile.

 _So this is a Krazoa Spirit, pretty weird looking. Hard to imagine something like this could hold such power._

Krystal shrugged her shoulders and then approached the Krazoa Spirit slowly, after going through so much to get to wherever she was she certainly wasn't going to rush in case it was a trap. Once Krystal was close enough the Krazoa Spirit flew towards her, causing her to instinctly take a defensive stance.

The Spirit stopped a few feet above Krystal before speaking in a soft voice. "Watch closely where I hide. When the urns stop moving you must show which urn I have hidden in. Find me three times and a role and I will be yours to return to the Krazoa Palace."

Krystal scratched her head in confusion, she was expecting something a little different, a physical test of strength or agility or a purity test. The Earthwalker said that the tests were on purity, so it struck her as odd that the test was on something as trivial as observation. It didn't help that the spirit just rushed to explain everything so quickly without introductions. She shrugged the thought aside as six hatches opened up on the floor and urns rose out of each one. The Krazoa Spirit flew towards the one at the far end of the room and entered it. Suddenly the urns started rotating around the room in a circle, picking up pace as time progressed. They moved quickly in confusing patterns for nearly a minute before stopping.

 _You got to be kidding, this of way too easy."_

Krystal had played games similar to the rest before, they were common mind and observation games on Cerinia; she knew how to win. She had simply focused only on the urn that the Krazoa Spirit had flown into, watching closely as it moved around. It made the test way too easy for her.

Krystal made her way to the urn closest to her right and knocked on the top. The Krazoa Spirit flew out of the urn a second later and hovered above Krystal. She couldn't tell if it was happy or not but at least she had chosen correctly.

"Congratulations, you found me. Now just do it two more times in a row and I'll be yours."

Krystal smiled as the spirit flew towards another urn. _At least try to make it harder this time._

The game proceeded with the urns moving slightly faster in the second round with more confusing patterns. But, Krystal had little trouble keeping the correct urn in her view and easily found the Krazoa Spirit. The third round was more challenging with the urns moving at speeds and even more confusing patterns, making it hard for Krystal to keep up. But, again, after nearly a minute the urns came to a stop and she ran to the urn at the far end of the room. She touched the urn and the Krazoa Spirit flew out of it.

 _Finally, that was really getting annoying. So, what happens now?_

Suddenly the Krazoa flew forward into Krystal, nearly knocking her on her backside and lifting her up into the air. She felt the power and energy of the Krazoa coursing through her veins as she hovered over the floor. The incredible power bubbling inside her was intense, almost overwhelming, she understood why the Krazoa were so important. After a few moments Krystal was lowered back onto the floor.

 _Okay, I got the Krazoa Spiriy, now what? I guess I head back the way I came._

Krystal turned around and headed back the way she came to the warp where she was teleported back to the Krazoa Palace. She appeared back in the original room to find the Earthwalker still lying there. She ran to his side and kneeled down beside his head.

The Earthwalker raised his head upon seeing Krystal. "The Shrines keep the Spirits safe from harm, but their powers are useless. Only when the spirit has been released back into the palace can it be used to stop the war." The Earthwalker stated and lifted its head in the direction Krystal should go.

Krystal stood up and looked towards the hallway, a little cautious of the situation. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, everything had been too easy so far, felt like she was walking into a trap. A quick reading of the injured Earthwalker's mind calmed her nerves slightly; he wasn't lying or trying to trap her.

Krystal took a deep breath to ready herself then proceeded onward to her duty. She ran to a nearby platform that looked like a floor elevator that activated as soon as she stepped onto it. The elevator lifted her up quickly, stopping at the entrance to the hallway. Krysfal leaned forward, checking the hallway for enemies before proceeding, finding none and what looked a Krazoa shrine at the end.

 _Okay, this is the no-turn-back point, if I do this I'm committed to finishing it._

Krystal stepped into the hallway slowly, checking over her shoulder with every step. After what happened on the Sharpclaw ship she wasn't taking any chances. Getting closer she noticed that the shrine looked exactly like the Krazoa Spirit that inhabited her body, minus the tentacles. Seemed obvious to her it's what the Earthwalker was talking about.

 _Ok, what do I do know?_

Suddenly, Krystal felt an instense pain in her chest, causing her to collapse to her knees. She could feel the spirit moving around in her body, trying to get out. Krystal relaxed her body as best she could hoping the spirit left her quickly. After what felt like forever the spirit finally flew out of Krystal and into the shrine. As soon as the spirit did Krystal could sense some life return to the Palace, even if it was a little.

 _One down, several to go . . . great._

Krystal slowly stood up and shook some dirt off her knees when her telepathy picked up on something strangely very close to her. Dark sensations traveled throughout her body, causing her fur to stand up. It was so sudden and the sensation hit so hard that Krystal was nearly thrown to the ground because of her senses being overwhelmed.

 _What the hell is that?_ Krystal thought as she looked around wildly.

Krystal spun around, looking for whatever set her sense off, but saw nothing. She knew that something, or someone was nearby, and not seeing them frightened her. What made it worse was that the presence felt familiar, and incredibly evil, more so than what she felt in General Scales. It wasn't till she could feel the presence nearly on top of her that she spun around and saw it, letting out a stunned gasp.

"IT'S YOU!" Krystal screamed only do be thrown backwards by a wind fan before she could act.

Krystal flew backwards through the hallway completely helpless. She looked around for something to grab but found nothing, she was at the mercy at the wind. Within moments she found herself blown into a large room filled with giant fans.

 _What in the hell is going on here?_

Krystal looked behind her to see that her flight path was sending her directly towards a giant crystal. She tried to fight against the current but it was pointless, she believed she'd be crushed. Instead, Krystal passed through and found herself somehow inside the crystal, unable to move. The crystal suddenly flew upwards towards the open ceiling. Krystal tried to move to break free but was unable to move, she was at the mercy at the crystal. Soon, the crystal rose through the ceiling and stopped once it was outside. Krystal found herself stuck on a large balcony on top of the palace, surrounded by collumns, in the middle of some kind of a shrine. The Krazoa spirit she'd saved flew around her mindlessly, as if it was waiting for something. Krystal panicked on the inside, being stuck in a giant crystal, she was at the mercy of whoever came by, and unable to help the dinosaurs.

 _Oh no, what have I gotten myself into._

* * *

Great Fox, space

"Really, Fox, they offered that much just to investigate Sauria?" Slippy shouted as he and Fox walked down the hallway together.

Fox smirked watching his friend bounced up and down with excitement. Even though Slippy was his age he still acted like a kid when he got excited. He was practically drooling with Fox explained the contract to him, especially their payment.

"Oh yes, with the amount Fara's paying us we'll at least be able to fix all the failures on the Great Fox. If we fully complete the contract then . . . well, who knows how much we can upgrade our ships."

Slippy slapped his hands together loudly. "Oh, my mind is running wild with ideas for the Great Fox and the Arwings."

"Oh I'm sure it is, should make you even happier to know that Fara agreed to assist in the upgrades. She mentioned that this morning when she dropped off Vixy."

Slippy squealed with joy so loudly that Fox had to cover his ears. He figured Slippy would like that, even though Fara wasn't quite as technically smart as him she had a talent for designing upgrades for ships and fighters that rivaled Slippy. On top of that, Fara had nearly unlimited access to technology and money that Slippy enjoyed.

"Don't forget, Slippy, we only get paid the full amount if we fully complete the contract. Which reminds me, how long before the translator is ready?"

"Soon, I'm just working out the final touches, but it keeps shorting out. I need time to work out the power outage that doesn't overload or underload it."

"Alright, how long will that take?" Fox asked.

"Assuming our trip there goes smoothly, I should have it fixed by the time we arrive."

"Then we'll bad sure to have no interruptions. Which means I got to keep Vixy away from you,"

Slippy laughed. "Of course, as much as I like Vixy she gets in my too much. Her curiosity is not needed right now. Sorry to be blunt but it's true."

"It's fine, Vixy's young and full of energy, she just needs someone to keep her calm. Which I need to start doing before she gets into trouble."

"Then you'd better hurry, you know she doesn't sit still for very long."

"I know, you just work on putting the finishing touches on your translator. I'll see ya later, Slippy." Fox said as he separated from Slippy and headed towards the rec room.

Fox walked into the rec room to see Vixy sitting on the floor by the couch playing with a toy Arwing and Wolfen. From a distance, Vixy looked more like Fara than him. She had Fara's light brown fur, though it was slightly thicker, but shorter than Fox's. Vixy's ears were long but thick just like Fara's. Her tail however was thick like Fox's. Due to her fur color, Vixy looked very much like Fara but had Fox's facial features, she even had Fox's green eyes. Though, because she was still a young kit Vixy's fur was still fluffy. Watching Vixy play brought a smile to Fox's face, it was just an adorable view. The Arwing chased the Wolfen around trying to shoot it down, bring back fond memories for Fox. Though he wanted to sit back and watch he decided to jump in, spend time with Vixy.

Fox walked up behind Vixy and kneeled down behind her. "Where did you get those, Vixy?"

"Mommy had them made for me after I watched the video of your battle with Star Wolf."

"Really, must be new, I don't remember you having them the last time I saw you."

"They are, mommy had them made for me last week." Vixy replied looking up at Fox. "I asked for them after my preschool teacher showed a video of your battle with Star Wolf."

"Huh, I'm surprised your teacher did that, doesn't seem like something appropriate for a preschool class. Maybe it's because you're in the class and she wanted to show the class how important you are, given you're my daughter and all."

"No, that's not it, no one in class knows that you're my father. Mommy wanted to keep it a secret, something about people being nice to me just because I'm your daughter."

Fox shook his head, knowing Fara's reasons for that were actually quite good. Thanks to the Lylat Wars, Fox had become something of a celebrity, even though that was eight years ago. Unfortunately, that reputation could have negative effects of Vixy, especially in school. Fara had spoken previously how people were treating Vixy just because she was his daughter. They were practically giving her anything she wanted, and Fara was worried that would run over to her school life; teachers letting her get away with things and giving her good grades just because of Fox. Fara didn't want that out of fear that it'd make Vixy entitled, she'd seen it happen before; her little sister being a spoiled brat was a good example. She wanted Vixy to have a strong work ethic, not be an entitled brat, and Fox both understood and agreed with her.

"That may sound mean but your mother is smart to do that. She's quite intelligent, a lot more than I am."

"Oh, I know daddy, mommy is MUCH smarter than you, she makes you look stupid." Vixy replied in a adorable voice, getting a big laugh from Fox.

"Normally I'd take that as an insult, but compared to Fara it's true, and coming from you I can't get mad over it. You're just too cute to get mad at."

Vixy giggled as she resumed playing, warming Fox's heart. Fox sat behind Vixy, watching her play, occassionally offering her help, usually followed by a head scratch. They must've played together for hours, at least to them it felt that way, it wasn't uncommon for them to lose track of time when they were together. It was time Fox greatly cherished, enough to make him consider leaving the mercenary life so he could be with her.

Vixy suddenly turned around, looked at Fox, and asked out of nowhere. "So, daddy, I was wondering, when are you and mommy getting back together?"

Fox looked at Vixy, his jaw dropping open, getting a laugh from her. Vixy asked it so suddenly that Fox was caught completely off guard. He knew at some point that Vixy would ask that question, but never imagined she'd just blurt it out, or that she'd do it so young. Fox figured he had a couple more years before she asked him, leaving him with no explanation for Vixy. The only solution he could come up with was to try and talk her out of the subject, maybe she'll lose interest.

"Uh, well, sweetie, I don't think that's something you're ready for." Fox stuttered, as he rubbed the back of his head.

"But daddy, I want to know why you and mommy are not together. Is it because of me?" Vixy replied, look oh down at the ground nearly crying.

"Oh no, sweetie, it had nothing to do with you, I promise you. It was solely your mothers and my fault, the blame goes to us."

"Why, what happened?"

"Well, uh . . . you see, sweetie . . ." Fox stuttered as he tried to think of an explanation that wouldn't upset Vixy and get Fara mad at him when she heard, and she most certainly would. "Your mother and I had some problems that, work related problems, made our marriage nearly impossible to work out at the time."

"What kind of problems?"

"My, aren't you a curious little kit."

"Grandma says that little vixens are natutally curious." Vixy replied with a smirk.

"You're definitely your mother's daughter. You love giving me sarcasm." Fox said, patting Vixy playfully on the head, getting a giggle from her. "You see, Vixy, best way I can think to describe it is that we were both busy, things got complicated which caused problems. It made things nearly impossible for your mother and I to be together."

"So, you and mommy separated so you could work things out?"

"My, aren't you a sharp little kit." Fox said as he patted Vixy on the head. "Yes, that's pretty much what happened, it was a burden on both of us and we didn't want it to affect you. So you see little Vixy, there's a lot to blame for our divorce, but you are certainly not one of them."

Vixy smiled as she looked down at the ground. Fox could tell that his words confused her, it's a lot for a little kit to take in. Trying to explain it in ways a four year old could understand, and not upset her, was a very unique challenge in itself. Thankfully, Vixy seemed to understand, enough that her curiosity was satisfied.

Vixy frowned as she looked up at Fox. "Sounds to me like you and mommy have a lot to talk about."

"Yes, your mother and I certainly do. But, it's nothing that you need to worry about. You're young, enjoy yourself, have fun. Let me and your mother worry about the important stuff."

"I'll try daddy, but I just want to see you and mommy back together. Is there anything I can do to help you and mommy get back together?" Vixy asked, looking up at Fox with begging eyes.

"Sure, just keep being adorable and a sweetheart. I don't think you should have a problem with that."

Vixy let out a high pitched squeal as she jumped on Fox, nearly knocking him onto the couch. She climbed onto his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. Fox found himself on his back with Vixy snuggling against his chest, squeezing his neck tight. He wrapped his arm around her back and hugged her tight as her tail wagged wildly.

"Thank you daddy." Vixy squealed as she kissed Fox on the cheek, making him blush.

 _I truly am a lucky guy to have a such a gifted and beautiful daughter._ Fox thought as he looked down at Vixy.

Fox had thought about Vixy's situation quite often lately. Being such a young child with two divorced parents couldn't be easy for her. Vixy was so young that she probably didn't even remember her parents being together; Fox and Fara divorced when she was barely two years old. Fox didn't want to think about the effect that was having on Vixy. Add on going back and forth between parents for custody, even though she was with them for long periods of time, Fox could hardly understand how Vixy was so calm and loving. If Vixy was feeling any trauma or stress she clearly didn't realize it; she was very open and spoke with no filter just like Fara. A few weeks ago, Fox thought long and hard over the subject, gave himself quite a headache. He wanted Vixy to be happy and would do anything for her. Thankfully, things between him and Fara were pretty good, and getting back together with Fara seemed like a real possibility, as long as nothing came between them.

As Fox's mind came back to reality he looked up at the digital clock at the wall and realized how late it was, by Corneria standards. "Alright, Vixy, it's getting close to your bed time. Playtime, unfortunately, has to end, sorry sweetie."

"But daddy, I'm not tired. I don't want to go to bed."

"Sorry little one, you need your rest."

Vixy spun around to face Fox and gave him the begging puppy look. "But papa, I'm not tired. Can I please stay up more?"

Fox crossed his arms and smiled at Vixy. "That doesn't work on me anymore."

Vixy looked down at the floor, pouting softly. Fox could make out a tear rolling down her cheek as she cried, even though he knew she was faking. Though it was a trick just seeing it softened Fox's heart, he hated seeing his daughter with tears in her eyes.

"Alright, ten more minutes, but then you MUST go to bed."

Vixy jumped up and hugged Fox. "Thank you daddy."

Suddenly, the elevator door opened up and Slippy ran out gasping for breath. Fox and Vixy turned and looked at Slippy with puzzled looks as he ran towards them. Vixy watched Slippy for a moment before resuming to play with her toys. Fox looked at Slippy as if he'd lost his mind, it was an amusing spectacle for him to say the least. The Great Fox did have a communication system throughout the ship, allowing people to communicate from any part of the ship, unfortunately, it broke months ago and fixing it would cost more than Star Fox had in its current budget. As a result, people had to run messages across the ship, which Slippy clearly just did. Slippy wasn't in the best shape, so him running through the maze of the Great Fox easily made him out of breath.

"What's the rush, Slippy, you run out of supplies or did your tail catch on fire." Fox said sarcastically.

"Fox, we got a problem. Well, not us but someone else does."

Fox stood up and walked towards Slippy, leaving Vixy to play on her own. "If we're not having problems then who is? And better yet, what is going on? You'd better start from the beginning.

"I would Fox but time is something they don't have much of."

Fox rolled his eyes in frustration. "You're not helping, Slippy. Please, just slow down for once and tell me what's going on."

Slippy took a deep breath, slowly calming down enough to speak for Fox to understand. "I was running a maintenance check in the command room when a distress call came over the radio. The I.D. said Cornerian military, despite there officially being none nearby. Looking closer I recognized the tag, it belongs to Miyu."

Fox's eyes shot open upon hearing Miyu's name. "Is Miyu in danger?"

"From the message I'd say that she definitely is."

"Then I guess that Fay is in trouble too."

Fox shook his head thinking of Fay and Miyu. The lynx and spaniel were always together, being best friends since the academy, and good friends of Fox's since then as well. They were both part of the same recon unit for years, often going on recon missions together, and had earned quite a reputation amongst the Cornerian military for their skills and success. The two of them were together so much that if Fay wasn't dating Fox's old friend Bill Gray he'd assume that they were a lesbian couple. It was uncertain with Miyu as she seemed to like, and had a few tumors about her bedroom activities, with both men and women.

"So, what kind of trouble are our fiery friends in this time?" Fox asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"The Venomian kind." Slippy replied, causing Fox to immediately turn serious. "From the message Miyu sent they were doing recon on an asteroid cluster when they came across a large Venom squadron. Long story short, they took down a few and fled, but the Venom squadron is hot on their tails and they're outnumbered ten to one."

Fox fought back a gasp as he heard his friends were in trouble. He tried to remain calm so he didn't freak out Vixy. The thought of his friend Fay and old school girlfriend Miyu being in danger made his blood boil. Betting to them would take time, but being a naturally protective, several said overprotective, Fox immediately made a decision.

"How much time will it take to reach them from our current position?" Fox asked impatiently.

"Tracking their current position, I got a good lock on them, I'd say about eight minutes, ten in we hurry."

"Really, they're that close? Though even against a Venom Squadron that's a long time a wait for help."

"Well, they aren't engaging them, just fleeing. So that should give us more time." Slippy answered.

"Then I say since they're so close and need our help that we even the odds a little bit."

Fox's response made Slippy bounce up and down like the towd he is. "Yippee, time to slaughter some Venom scum."

Slippy ran off, more like leapt out, of the rec room full of energy and excitement, it never took much to get him excited. Watching the spectacle made Fox laugh as it always did, he just wished Slippy had watched his language around Vixy. At least they'd get some action and have a reunion with old friends, Miyu was always fun to be around and Fay was a bundle of joy. But, Fox's mind was quickly changed when he looked down at Vixy playing with her toys. Going to help Fay and Miyu would mean bringing Vixy into a combat scenario; something he promised Fara he wouldn't do. Though Fox knew Vixy would be more than safe on the Great Fox as it engaged from a distance, while he, Slippy, and Peppy dealt with the Venomian squadron, Fara would NOT be happy if she ever found out. Fara would almost certainly kill him if she discovered that he brought Vixy into a fight against the Venomians. However, Fox was never one to leave his friends in danger, the very thought of such an act angered him. No part of him was capable of leaving behind people he cared about. Fox just hoped that Fara would understand, and remember that Vixy was more than safe on board the Great Fox.

Fox knelt down to Vixy's eye level. "Vixy, I'm going to have to ask you to keep this a secret from your mother."

"Because mommy will skin you if she finds out?" Vixy asked in her cute, curious voice, getting a smile from Fox.

"That is an understatement sweetie. I need you to promise to not say a word to your mother, please."

Vixy nodded, "Ok daddy, I pwomise."

Fox smirked as he patted Vixy on the head. "Thank you sweetie, now let's get you up to the bridge so you'll be safe with Peppy."

To be continued,

* * *

Krystal is now stuck in a crystal on Sauria (a bit of irony) while Star Fox is on its way to assist Fay and Miyu. Can Star Fox get there in time to help Fay and Miyu? What will happen to Krystal in the mean time? 

A quick question to readers, do you think I should have a quick romance between Fox and Miyu or not? Please leave a review so I know. 

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	4. Old Friends Reunited and Rescued

Here we go, the next chapter of Star Fox: Annihilation. Thank you for sticking through the story this far, even though it really just started.

This is the first real combat scene for the story, I hope that goes well. Too bad its aerial combat, which I have no experience in, so it might be a little lacking. Plus the combat will be short so don't expect much.

A little warning, this chapter has some very suggestive and rape-ish stuff being said by General Scales. Don't worry, no one gets raped, but it's the things that General Scales that'll be a little uncomfortable. If you've played "The Legend of Krystal" games it may sound familiar. But, Krystal won't sleep with anyone, that's a promise; except possibly Fox later.

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 3: Old friends rescue

Miyu turned her fighter just in time to avoid taking a hit on her rear as the Venom fighters pursued her. She kept an eye on him while trying to avoid getting a surprise shot from one of the multitude of Venomians flying around her. Fortunately the one behind her was a horrible shot, though he was quickly closing in, exactly what Miyu wanted. She waited till her enemy was nearly right behind her to suddenly pitch her fighter to the right and free herself from his sight and crosshairs.

"Ha ha, missed me." Miyu shouted as she stuck out her tongue at the nearest enemy fighter.

Miyu quickly u-turned and positioned herself behind the fighter. She quickly fired on the fighter, blasting its tail off before finishing him. But in the explosion Miyu almost missed two more Venom fighters approaching fast from the front. Miyu responded just in time and turned her fighter just as their shots flew past her.

"Whoa, that was too close. They keep attacking in swarms out of nowhere." Miyu growled as she turned around to pursue the two Venomians that nearly took her out.

"It's a good strategy to overwhelm a smaller but more experienced and skilled force. A couple get our attention while a group position themselves for attack while we're distracted."

"Smart, there's too many for just the two of us to keep track of, even for the two of us."

Miyu looked up to see a group positioning themselves for an attack. A quick glance behind allowed her to see a larger group gathering for she guessed was the same. Even leaning over to look beneath she could spot at least two more appearing to ready themselves to attack. Miyu knew they were surrounded and the odds were mpg in the favor; getting worse every second. They needed some help, even a couple of Cornerian fighters would be of assistance, but it didn't look like help was coming.

"How long have we been at this, Fay?" Miyu shouted as she dodged a shot from her right.

"You mean from the start of the dogfight or since we sent the distress signal?"

"Seven minutes since you were spotted and five minutes since we sent the distress signal." Fay answered as she narrowed her sight on an incoming Venom fighter, fired, and scored a direct. "That's seven out of twenty five down."

Miyu smiled as she spotted a group of fighters coming at her from above. She turned her fighter towards them, locked onto the lead fighter, and fired a nova bomb. The bomb hit the lead fighter, destroying the group along with it.

"That's ten out of twenty now." Miyu said as she pitched her fighter towards Fay.

"But we only have one nova bomb left and they're gaining on us. We need to get out of here, NOW!"

Looking over her shoulder, Miyu spotted Fay having a tougher time that she was. Fay had least three fighters closing in on her as she pursued another. It was only a matter of time before they had Fay in their sights.

"I don't know how much longer we can last out here."

"A minute if we're lucky." Fay shouted as she dodged another shot. "Thankfully we're both lucky ladies."

"Speak for yourself Fay."

Miyu shook her head as she concentrated on avoiding taking a shot on her ass. Looking over her shoulder she counted at least three enemy fighters on her tail, with two more attempting to get behind her. Lucky for Miyu the Venomians were horrible shots, most of their shots missed her by a mile. Though by the volume of shots they were firing at her she knew they'd eventually get a successful hit. To make things worse Miyu spotted a group of fighters headed straight for her, and she saw an opportunity.

 _Let's see you morons deal with this._

Miyu flew straight toward the oncoming group, trying to make it look like she was playing chicken with them. The fighters continued to fly at her, holding their fire, she knew they were waiting for a clear shot. As soon as she saw them open fire, Miyu pitched her fight down as hard and fast as she could, their shots sailing barely above her. She looked back just in time to see their shots hit the fighters that were chasing her, taking out two of them.

 _Now take this scumbags._

Waiting for the right moment, Miyu jerked her fighter up just as the Venomians were right above her. She locked onto the last fighter in the group and released a charged shot. Her shot connected to the fighter, destroying two of the fighters and damaging another. Before the fighters could recover Miyu turned her fighter away from them as quickly as possible, she knew they'd be back on her quickly, and wanted to be on them before that happened.

Miyu turned her head to see a group of fighters manage to get behind Fay and pursue her closely. Despite the distance between them, and focusing on the Venomians trying to kill her, she could make out Fay having difficulty keeping away from her chasers. Thankfully Fay was good at dodging men, in both the cockpit and on the ground, that she was avoiding taking a direct hit, though Miyu observed several shots come close. Miyu wanted to turn and help Fay but the fighters trying to get on her tail prevented her, she couldn't get to Fay without presenting herself to her enemies.

"Damn, I can't shake them." Fay shouted as the Venomians closed in on her and a shot grazed her right side.

Miyu looped her fighter around, ignoring her own pursuers, to assist Fay. No one messed with Fay when Miyu was around. She ignored all risks to protect her friend, knowing full well that the Venom squad would be on her tail in a matter of seconds, leaving her little time to protect her friend.

"Don't worry Fay, I got your back."

Miyu flew as close to the Venomians chasing Fay and locked onto the rear fighter. She fired a charged blast that hit its target, taking out one and heavily damaging another. The shot got the other's attention long enough for Fay to break away. Miyu opened fire on the Venomians, scattering them, but at the same time openly herself up to the fighters pursuing her. She could feel their crosshairs closing in, knowing that at any second they'd lock onto her.

"Thanks, Miyu, now let me return the favor." Fay said.

Before Miyu could reply Fay u-turned and fired a nova bomb at the Venomians chasing her. Miyu ducked, avoiding getting hit by the bomb, and turned her head to see it explode in the middle of the group. The bomb took out most of the fighters, with the others turning away to avoid taking damage. Miyu smiled as she turned her fighter to position herself beside Fay as the Venomians attempted to regroup.

"That was our last nova bomb." Fay said.

"Then we're running on fumes now, though it looks like they are too. Unfortunately, these numbskulls just don't seem to get a hint. They must really want to kill us."

"Well, we did just take out a lot of their friends, maybe that has something to do with it."

"Probably, but if they keep this up we'll be dead eventually. I don't plan on making it easy for them."

"You took the words right out of my mouth." Fay said with Miyu hearing the confidence in her voice.

Miyu and Fay positioned beside each other as the Venom fighters regrouped before flying towards them, with a few others behind them blocking their escape. The odds were more than ten to one but Miyu and Fay did not back down, they had no real choice besides fighting back. Miyu was ready for the fight, going out in a blaze of glory was her style, though she hated the fact that Fay was stuck with her. She was determined to protect Fay, to make sure she made it back to her fiancé, even if it cost her life.

"Miyu, something's coming up on the radar, and it's large." Fay shouted with both fear and excitement in her voice.

Miyu glanced down quickly at her radar and saw the same thing. From what she was picking up a teleportation rift appearing nearby. She couldn't help but be worried that it's more enemy fighters, wouldn't surprise her if it was, she and Fay were pretty high on the Venom resistance kill list.

A rip opened to just outside of the combat zone, and moments later a familiar ship could be seen coming out. Miyu recognized the ship immediately and nearly jumped for joy in her cockpit. If it wasn't for the Venom fighters trying to kill her she would've. Thankfully, they seemed to have stopped chasing her at the sight of the ship too, giving Miyu the opportunity to get some distance between her and them.

"Star Fox, took you guys long enough to get here." Miyu shouted as she made a U-turn back towards her targets.

"Give us a break, Miyu, the Great Fox isn't in the best condition. Opening a gate takes forever." Slippy's voice sounded over the radio.

The Venomians began to scatter as Star Fox Arwings, only Fox and Peppy from what Miyu could observe, existed the Great Fox's hangar. Miyu kind of expected that, the Venomians did fear Star Fox, though they probably wouldn't if they realized how bad the current condition of the team was. Fortunately, it was enough to scare them, with ROB keeping the Great Fox in firing position as Fox and Peppy advanced towards them.

"Look at them, they're scattering like roaches." Miyu shouted in excitement as she turned her fighter towards the fleeing Venomians.

"They're only doing their nature." Fox replied.

Fox and Miyu paired up and narrowed their pursuit on the fleeing Venomians. Fay and Peppy stayed back for support. The Venomians, slow fighters made them easy targets, with only Fox and Miyu to press the trigger to blow them away. Instead, Fox and Miyu resisted the urge fire, slaughtering them so long after the war was over, seemed like taking it too far.

"Fox, do we blow them out of space or let them go?" Peppy shouted.

"Let them go, they won't get far." Fay responded before Fox did. "There's been enough fighting for one day. Plus we know where they're going. The Cornerian forces will deal with them."

"You sure about that? Don't you want to get revenge on them?" Fox asked.

"For what, they didn't even manage to scratch us." Miyu replied for Fay. "We're done for today, thanks to you guys."

"I guess it's our pleasure to help. Huh, that was almost too easy." Fox said as the Venom fighters disappeared.

"What do you expect, they're afraid of the legendary Star Fox team?" Miyu replied sarcastically. "Good thing they didn't realize how bad your condition is or we'd be screwed."

"Hey, the Great Fox isn't in that bad condition." Slippy's high pitched voiced shouted over the radio, hurting Miyu's sensitive ears. "The main guns still fire and our shields, work, a little."

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Slippy." Miyu rolled her eyes in her cockpit as she flew towards the Great Fox. "Still, thank you for saving our hides."

"Same here, we owe you big time for this, Fox." Fay added.

"You're welcome, ladies, that's what friends are for." Fox replied as she flew beside Miyu. "So, ladies, I have to ask, how far away is your base from here?"

"We're stationed at Macbeth, it's a pretty long flight back." Miyu answered.

"Too long of a flight, you ladies are more than welcome to stay the night with us."

"Thanks for the offer, we gladly accept, it's been too long since we had a reunion."

"And a good night's sleep." Fay added.

"Great, the hangar is opened, see you ladies on board."

X

Great Fox Bridge

The door to the Great Fox Bridge opened up and Fox entered, followed closely by Vixy. Everyone, including Miyu and Fay, were already there, waiting for them. Fox kind of figured they would be, Miyu and Fay entered the Great Fox's hangar before he did and were gone from their fighters before he was even pulling in. Everyone looked tired and Fox wasn't surprised, by Cornerian standards it was late in the night.

"Ladies, it's good to see you." Fox said as he entered the bridge.

Before anyone could reply Vixy took off and jumped at Fay who caught her in her arms. "Aw, I see someone is happy to see me."

Fox fought back a laugh as he watched Vixy hug Fay. He wasn't surprised by her actions, Fara had often asked Fay to babysit her. From, what Fox heard, Fay was a great babysitter and Vixy loved her.

Miyu kneeled down and opened her arms for Vixy. "Come on little kit, doesn't aunt Miyu get a hug too."

Vixy ran to Miyu and jumped into her arms. Miyu was almost knocked back but braced herself before she fell to the floor.

"Oh my, someone is getting strong." Miyu said as she hugged Vixy.

Miyu hugged Vixy tight for a moment before letting go. Vixy smiled as she walked back to Fox with Miyu close behind her.

"It's nice to see you Fox, been too long since we had a good reunion." Miyu said as she hugged Fox.

"Yes it has, I think the last time we were together in person was the reunion last year. Thank goodness you both answer my calls."

"Of course, I'll answer any call from you Fox." Miyu replied, winking at Fox, getting an eye roll from Fay.

"Miyu, can you go one week without flirting." Fay said with a little humor in her voice.

"I can but there's no fun in that."

Fox leaned in close to Miyu and whispered. "True, but don't forget, there's a child present, there are things you shouldn't say."

"Things like what daddy?" Vixy blurted out, causing everyone to look at her.

"A child with amazing hearing, that's what. Fay said, impressed.

Fox shook his head, fighting back a smirk. He often forgets how good Vixy's hearing was. She inherited Fara's large ears, allowing her to hear things most people couldn't. It's made it hard for Fox to keep secrets around her, especially confidential military secrets.

"I'm surprised you didn't say, I'll tell you when you're older, Fox." Miyu said with a laugh.

"I've used that line so much that it's lost its meaning. But, putting that aside, can you please watch what you say around her."

"No problem that I can do for Vixy."

"Glad to hear it. I have to switch subjects before I forget it, can you guys tell me what you were doing out in this part of space or is that classified?" Fox asked in a sarcastic manner.

"I guess you can say that it's so classified that if I told you I'd have to kill you." Miyu said in a semi-serious voice, crossing her arms under her ample chest, getting an attentive stare from Fox and Slippy.

Fay shook her head. "Don't listen to my partner, she's just a sadistic flirt. She just doesn't want to admit it's her fault we got chased."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault."

"Yes, it was, you're the one who flew too close to the squad, allowing them to see you plain as day. I warned you not to get that close."

"You did, but we needed an accurate count of the enemy and we couldn't get that from our distance."

"HEY, PLEASE STOP ARGUING!" Fox shouted, getting everyone's attention. "Please, tell me what happened from the beginning."

"Alright, I'll tell it." Fay responded. "We were ordered to investigate possible Venom activity in the area. Command told us there would only be a dozen of them at the most. Well, we get there and find more than three times that hiding in the asteroid cluster, just waiting for any transport ship to cross their path. I radioed command of that situation but Miyu wanted a better, more accurate account."

"That's when I flew closer to get a better estimate, which I did succeed in doing." Miyu added. "But, somehow, we got spotted and that lead to us being chased. Thankfully you guys showed up and took them out, solved the problem completely."

"Sounds to me like you guys got screwed over or were set up."

"That's what I thought too, wouldn't be the first time they've screwed us over." Miyu replied with a huff.

"That incident on Macbeth doesn't count, Miyu. They just left some things out that were highly classified, even though it would've been helpful to know. at the time." Fay shouted. "I think they just didn't know what we were getting into."

Fox and Miyu looked at Fay stunned, neither of them had seen her lash out like that before. It was strange to see Fay react so aggressively towards anything, she was always calm and passionate. Neither of them could remember seeing Fay shout at anyone. Fox thought that she was probably just upset and tired, which was highly likely given they all were.

"That's probably true, Fay, while the Cornerian military is second to none in the system it's intelligence agency needs work. We can call agree on that." Fox said, getting nods from everyone, even Vixy who appeared to be following along.

"Well, hopefully it doesn't happen again, it if wasn't for you guys showing up we'd be in some serious trouble." Fay replied with a smile.

"Speaking of you guys, Fox, what is the great Star Fox team doing in this part of the system?" Miyu asked with a half serious, half sarcastic look.

"It's a long story but the jest of it is that we're on a contract."

"No duh, I figured that one, there's no other reason for you to be out here."

"True, as mean was you stated it, you have a point." Fox crossed his arms and thought for a moment. "It's a long story and I'm not even sure how to explain it all."

"I don't really think I should tell you. General Pepper, and more importantly Fara, said that the contract is supposed to be confidential." Peppy stated loudly.

"I know, Peppy, but this is Fay and Miyu we're talking about. They're Cornerian Special Forces with very high security clearance."

"I wouldn't say that high, Fox." Miyu added. "Just high enough to get things done correctly."

"Not as correctly as we do, but you still get my point. And I trust you two completely, so I know that it's safe to speak about this with you."

Fox began with recapping the meeting with General Pepper and Fara. Despite Peppy's objections, Fox told them everything that happened in the meeting. Fox trusted Miyu and Fay deeply, he knew they wouldn't tell anyone. He even told them about his and Fara's conversation, even though it was awkward. Fay paid more attention to the meeting while Miyu listened intently to Fox explain his conversation with Fara. Fox explained everything for nearly ten minutes before he finally finished.

"Huh, sounds to me that you could use our help." Miyu said once Fox finished explaining.

Fox shrugged. "It would be nice to have your help, plus, getting to reminisce with your two is always fun. Unfortunately, the contract won't allow you to help. Due to security concerns only the Star Fox team is allowed to investigate."

"And because we're not Star Fox we can't help. We're used to it." Miyu replied as she crossed her arms. "I'm sure we can find some way to help."

"Maybe, but you two don't have to do anything to stay. I've told you in the past, you don't have to do anything to visit, just come on by."

"Just make sure you tell us first." Peppy added, getting glares from everyone.

"We always do Peppy." Fay added, then turned to Fox. "Sorry Fox, neither of us likes crashing at your place for free. We're not freeloaders, and we want to help in some way."

"I suppose you two could stay for a while. Vixy could use someone to look after her while I'm gone." Fox replied with a smiled.

Miyu grinned as she looked down at an excited but tired Vixy. "Of course, I don't mind looking after this cute little furball."

"Hey, how many times do I have to say it, I AM NOT CUTE." Vixy shouted.

Miyu walked over to Vixy and patted her on the head. "Alright, little Vixy, I'll agree you're not cute, but you ARE a furball, and a feisty one at that."

Vixy smiled puffed herself up as she seemed proud by what Miyu called her. Everyone, even Peppy, laughed at Vixy's spectacle. Fox found it absolutely adorable, as Vixy always was.

"Are you sure you can handle Vixy, Miyu, she can be quite a handful?" Fox asked.

"Definitely, it's a girl thing Fox, you wouldn't understand."

"And she's got me to help." Fay added.

"Thank you both for that." Fox replied with a smile and then a yawn. "It's getting late, so I think it's time we all turned in."

"No arguments here, Fox. Fay and I have been on the Great Fox quite a bit, we know where our rooms are." Miyu responded.

Fay and Miyu turn and exit the bridge without another word, leaving Fox, Peppy, Slippy, and Vixy there. All of them were tired and ready for bed but had some last minute details before turning in.

"Fox, are you sure it's a good idea to bring them with us? General Pepper and Fara were explicit about remaining confidential." Peppy asked.

"Normally, I would agree with you, Peppy, but this is Fay and Miyu we're talking about, we can trust them."

"Well, yes, but still that breaks our confidentiality agreement."

"Not really, Miyu and Fay are not just military personnel but also both have high security clearance. So, technically, we're not breaking our agreement."

"If you say so, call it paranoia."

"I call it old age." Fox said, getting a laugh from Slippy and Peppy, then turned to Vixy who was finishing a loud yawn. "Now that our friends are safe I think it's time we get you to bed."

Vixy rubbed her eyes as she yawned, not arguing in the slightest. Fox kneeled down and scooped up Vixy in his arms. Vixy laid her head against Fox's chest and was asleep nearly instantly.

Fox turned to Slippy and Peppy who both looked tired. "I think it's time we all get some rest. ROB can handle the ship from here."

"Of course, sir, by my calculations we'll arrive at Sauria by moon tomorrow." ROB replied.

"Thank you, ROB, goodnight everyone." Slippy and Peppy nodded as Fox exited the bridge, carrying sleeping Vixy in his arms. _Sleep tight little angel._

* * *

Sauria

Krystal awakened from her slumber no telling how long she's been asleep. Felt like she was in a dream that quickly turned into a nightmare when she remembered her current situation, causing her heart to sink. She wanted to struggle but knew it was pointless. When she was first imprisoned in the crystal she tried to break free but found it impossible given she couldn't move a muscle. Since then she's had varying moments of consciousness that usually didn't last very long. All she could do was sigh and wait for unconsciousness come back. Outside of the crystal, Krystal could see a Sharpclaw soldier working on some equipment near her. Due to being inside a crystal she couldn't hear much and what she could was deafened quite a bit. She couldn't tell what exactly he was doing but it was clear to her that he was "examining" her body. If she wasn't in the crystal she would've killed him. Suddenly, Krystal's attention was drawn to the far side of the balcony when General Scales, floating up by the fans, appeared. Just seeing that particular reptile nearly brought Krystal's blood to a boiling point. He made his way to the Sharpclaw soldier who saluted him.

"General Scales, what are you doing here?" The soldier shouted.

"That's no way to talk to your general, soldier." General Scales slowly approached Krystal's tank, his eyes wandering over her body. "I just came by to see how our prisoner is doing."

"Well, General, I'm not really sure how to put it, but I can tell you that we won't get to her any time soon. That crystal is magic so getting her out will be no small feat. I've been working on it for hours and haven't even scratched it."

"I'm sure you'll figure something out, you'd never let me down before."

General Scales appeared to be deep in thought, something that surprised Krystal. She believed he wasn't capable of thoughts beyond fighting and screwing. The crystal blocked Krystal's telepathy, making it impossible for her to tell what he was thinking.

"Is she aware of what is happening outside of her prison?" General Scales asked.

"Yes and no, General. Most of the time she's in a coma-like state, but occasionally she'll awake and it seems like a dream to her. I guess she probably does but to a VERY limited extent."

"That's what I figured, such a fitting circumstance for someone so beautiful."

"Of course, General, such a shame we can't get to her yet. What do you plan on doing with her once she's free of the crystal?"

General Scales approached the crystal, eyeing Krystal over. "What we Sharpscales ALWAYS do to beautiful, fiery women. A woman like this needs to be broken, and our men are masters at breaking women."

"But General, this woman is so small, much smaller than our women. She most likely would pass out after being with just three of our men."

Krystal gasped from inside the crystal upon hearing the soldier's words. From their words Krystal could make an educated guess of what they meant. She guessed that if they got her out of her current prison they'd give her to the soldiers as a present to "satisfy" their needs. To put it bluntly, she'd mostly likely be passed from soldier to soldier for each of them to screw, and there were hundreds of soldiers in the Sharpscale army. The very thought of such an act brought her to the bone.

General Scales grinned devilishly as he closely examines Krystal's body. "She'll get used to it, our men will make her a perfect Sharpscale woman and will love her. But first we need to get her out of the crystal."

"Our man are working on figuring it out sir. It's magic so nothing we have will crack it."

"There's always a way soldier. But once we do get her out remember our law."

"I know General, the leader has the honor of breaking a new woman first."

Krystal felt shivers down her spine from General Scales' lustful stare. She didn't need her telepathy to know what the large lizard had in mind and it horrified her. After their previous fight she knew that since she didn't have her staff that if he wanted he could take her purity against her will. It'd be easier in her weakened state if she ever got out. As much as she hated the thought Krystal was glad she was stuck in the crystal, she was safe from General Scales as long as she was in there.

After a few moments of General Scales' lustful stares a Sharpclaw soldier ran onto the balcony, panting heavily. "General, our forces are gathered and ready for our march on the Earthwalker village. We're waiting for your order."

Krystal gasped as best she could from inside the crystal. She tried to move to break free but couldn't move at all. Her moments had so little effect that the crystal didn't even move.

General Scales smiled as he turned and looked at his soldier. "Good, tell them I'm coming to observe."

"But, General, is that necessary? We can handle them."

"I know, but after so long I want to see them broken before me."

Rage boiled inside Krystal as General Scales laughed, the sound of his laughter scared and infuriated her. The anger building in Krystal was so high she was almost crying. Knowing that there was nothing she could do made to assist the Earthwalkers made it hurt even more. All she could do was watch General Scales laugh as he walked away.

 _I swear if I ever get out of here I'll stick my staff up your ass and make you talk like a puppet._

To be continued.

* * *

Star Fox has saved Miyu and Fay and is not back on their path to Sauria What awaits them once they arrive? Will they be able to save Krystal from his crystal prison, before General Scales' figures out how to get to her?

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	5. Saurian Arrival

Here we go, the next chapter of Star Fox: Annihilation, this story's still progressing better than I thought it would, so I hope it keeps going.

I should point out that this story has very little of Star Fox Adventures in it. I stated earlier that the game is only a small part of this story. Only a few parts of the game will be in this story.

This chapter has another scene from Star Fox Adventures: Fox arriving on Sauria. It's been a while since I've played so I hope it's up to y'all approval.

I know I skipped the part of SF Adventures where Fox got the fire blast upgrade from the staff. It was easier for me to leave that part and write it with Krystal's staff already having the upgrades. If that upsets you then I'm sorry, but I'm not changing that.

There's also a scene introducing 2 old characters from a previous story, Daria and Shelby, from Fox's Unknown Daughter. The scene parallels that moment pretty closely, except its Daria calling Shelby instead of Fox. Might be some foreshadowing going on but there won't be that much.

This chapter I'm introducing my strongest/most powerful OC Lord Zathora the Multiverse God of Destruction. I'm trying to do without giving away too much about her or the story so it was hard to write out. She is definition of OP but I am NOT writing out that much into the story. For most of the story she's an observing character, manipulating events for the best possible outcome. She won't directly intervene in the story until nearly the end of the story and even then she's pretty much just giving advice. So DON'T complain about her being a Mary Sue.

I know that Zathora's scene was kind of, well, bland and introduced little information but I kind of wanted it that way. Unfortunately, I had trouble writing out that scene, trying to introduce Zathora without giving away too much about her or the story. So, I apologize beforehand if it's horrible.

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 4: Arrival

Great Fox

Fox entered the hangar with Vixy trailing behind him, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She looked like a half asleep shadow following him, making Fox want to pick her, though he didn't as that'd mean he'd have to set her down, it was always a task getting her to let go after being carried. Somehow, Vixy was able to keep up with him as he made his way to his Arwing.

"You know, you can go to bed sweetie. I'll be fine, there's nothing to worry about." Fox said as he stopped in front of Vixy."

"I know, daddy, I just want to see you fly."

Fox smirked as he looked down at Vixy. She always enjoyed watching him take off, and fly in general. Fox just wished Vixy was still in bed, she was always grumpy in the mornings. At least she was still half asleep, so she wasn't giving him any sass that morning.

"You're just going to leave without saying goodbye, Foxie?"

Fox turned around to see Fay and Miyu entering the hangar. "Sorry, ladies, I thought that you two were still asleep. I would've spoken to you otherwise."

"Yeah, sure you would." Miyu shouted as she and Fay approached Fox. "What is Vixy doing up then?"

Vixy let out a loud yawn before answering. "I woke up to daddy getting ready and decided to follow him. I want to be there when he leaves."

Fox shrugged his shoulders. "I accidentally woke her up when I kissed her forehead. I got up early, by Saurian standards, so I'd have plenty of daylight to investigate."

"You need to work on being quiet, can't wake up such a sweet little angel." Fay said, looking at Vixy who giggled back at her.

"Yeah, I know, I'll work on it after I get back. You two going to be alright looking after little Vixy?"

Miyu kneeled down to Vixy's eye level and smiled at her. "We'll be fine; Vixy will definitely have fun with us."

"She always does." Fay added.

"Then, I don't think I have anything to worry about other than the mission. Before I leave, I need to ask, what do you two think of the mission?" Fox asked getting Miyu and Fay to look at each other.

"Just that this mission seems a bit . . . unusual. If Fara wasn't the one who proposed the contract I would tell you to reject it." Fay answered.

"I figured that'd be your response. But I do agree Fara has become a calculating woman since she took over Space Dynamics. She wouldn't just send me on a mission like this if she thought it was too dangerous."

"Well, according to the data, there's a lot she doesn't know." Miyu added. "Her satellites have an extremely hard time seeing what's happening on the surface. For all we know, you could be walking into a dinosaur war."

Fox couldn't help but laugh. "A dinosaur war, that's pretty funny to think about. Too bad all our records say they're peaceful."

"I want to see the dinosaurs fight." Vixy squealed getting everyone's attention and laughs.

"So do I little Vixy." Fox said, patting Vixy on the head, then looked up at Fay and Miyu. "I don't really expect a fight, besides, Fara said that the mission is low to nonexistent risk, so I think I'll be fine."

Miyu crossed her arms under her ample chest and started at Fox. "You might want to get that cockiness in check before it comes and bites you in the butt."

"It's not boasting if you can back it up."

"You are good Fox, no doubting that, but are sure you can handle this on your own, Fox? I can't help but feel like there's something dangerously wrong going on down there." Fay asked.

"Of course, I've handled missions MUCH more dangerous than this."

"Yes, but those missions didn't require much intelligence. This contract requires something I don't think you've done much before."

"You're not wrong, Fay, I can't think of one contract we've done that didn't involve some form of combat. But that doesn't really bother me, just means I don't have to worry about possibly dying. Besides, if I need help I'll be sure to call."

"At least you can admit to be willing to ask for help if you need it. But, with the planet literally coming part I think that's something you need to worry about." Fay said worriedly.

"True, but according to the report Fara gave us the impact is minimal, so far. As long as I work quickly I should be fine."

"What about the locals? I've seen reports that a couple of the tribes aren't exactly friendly." Miyu asked.

"Hey, my daddy can handle anything." Vixy shouted, getting the attention of everyone.

Miyu smiled down at Vixy. "Everyone has limits, sweetie, even your father."

Vixy let out a playful growl only for Fox to stop her by placing a hand on her shoulder. "Its fine sweetie, it's nothing I can't handle, that kind of risk is minimal at best."

Fox looked at Fay and Miyu to back him up and they both nodded in agreement to assure Vixy. It didn't seem to work as Vixy still looked worried for her father's safety.

Fox knelt down in front of Vixy and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry sweetie, I'll be fine and back before you know it."

"You promise, daddy?"

"I promise, little fluff ball."

Vixy smiled as she lunged at Fox and hugged his neck. She squeezed so tight that Fox found himself having slight trouble breathing. Thankfully she didn't hug Fox for long, and when she let go he stood up to face Miyu and Fay.

"Don't worry Fox, we'll keep a close eye on the little fur ball." Miyu replied with a big smile.

"I'm sure you will, thank you for this."

"No problem, Vixy's fun, to look after. That's one less thing you have to worry about. So you can focus completely on your contract."

"I know, it is an investigation mission, can't be distracted." Fox said, as he looked at his Arwing. "I guess it's time for me to go, the sooner I get this over with the better."

"Then why are you still standing here, get moving fur-for-brains." Miyu said with a smirk.

Fox shook his head, trying hard not to laugh. He didn't reply to Miyu, just turned around and headed toward his Arwing. Fox climbed up the steps to his Arwing, looking over his shoulder at Vixy with nearly every step. Though the feeling was small he couldn't help but feel like he was walking into something dangerous. He quickly pushed the feeling aside as he climbed into the cockpit of his Arwing and turned it on.

 _Okay, I can do this. Just investigate the situation, solve it, return, and get paid. What's the worst that could happen?_

x

Sauria

 _So this is Thorntail Hallow, looks pretty small._ Fox thought as Thorntail Hallow came into view.

Fox had to squint through his cockpit's glass as he approached his destination. The Hallow was much smaller than he pictured in his mind, situated in a small valley opening, surrounded by a wall and mountain side. Upon getting closer, Fox could make out structures, even though there wasn't much beyond a couple large, stone buildings and small huts. What got Fox's attention was what appeared to be a giant, stone statue situated at the east side of the Hallow. It was massive from what Fox could see, making him ponder how the dinosaurs could've built it. Fox quickly ignored it, looking for a place to land.

After flying to the planet Fox was being cautious with his approach to the Hallow. The flight from the Great Fox through the atmosphere was no easy as the space around the planet was surrounded by asteroids. Due to the planet breaking apart there was an uncountable amount of debris floating around, making it incredibly difficult for Fox to fly through. He had a couple close calls but managed to make it through unscathed, and currently was being very cautious.

Fox circled over the Hallow till he spotted a wide, open area large enough to land. He guided his Arwing till it was hovering over a small clearing at the north end of the Hallow, slowly lowering himself down till his landing gears touched the soft ground. Once his Arwing was safely landed he switched it off, opened the cockpit, and jumped out, taking in a deep breath of fresh Saurian air.

Fox barely had any time to gather in his surroundings before his wrist communicator went off and a hologram of General Pepper's face appeared. "Great flying, Fox. For a moment, I thought that you weren't going to make it."

"Very funny, sir." Fox replied, rolling his eyes.

"I know, now, on to business. The communicator you received from us is state of the art. It allows you to communicate me, Peppy, or Slippy, each of us could have information that might help you. It's not been tested in action, so give it a try as soon as I finished. And don't forget you're looking for the Queen Earthwalker. Try talking to the locals. Hopefully Slippy has finished the translator. Until then, Slippy could possibly translate for you."

"Ok, General, but what about a weapon? Why couldn't I have brought my blaster?"

"It's always the same with you Fox." General Pepper replied with a huff. "Shoot first, ask questions later. This mission is about saving the planet, not blowing it up! It requires a different tactic. Try using your head."

"Yeah, yeah, very funny sir. Fox out."

Fox switched off his communicator and took a moment to look around him. The Hallow was strangely empty, even for such a small area, he expected more of a greeting. What dinosaurs he could see were completely ignoring him. Fox found it weird and a little unnerving, there was no way they didn't notice his entrance, making him believe they were either being forced to ignore him or setting up an ambush. It didn't help that Fox saw no sign of the Queen Earthwalker he was supposed to contact.

 _Yeah, something's definitely not right here._

Out of the corner of his eye, Fox spotted something that caught his attention. In a group of trees nearby was something long glittering brightly in the sunlight. Fox felt drawn to it for some reason and found himself approaching it. As Fox approached the group of trees he saw that the object was a staff stuck in the ground. The staff was around five feet long, with a blue shaft with small purple stripe wrapping around it from end to end. The spear-end was gold and wide, making it effective at causing large wounds on anything it hit. The opposite end looked like some kind of energy container, too bad the container was empty. It truly was a magnificent weapon to just look upon, making him wonder what kind of power it possessed.

 _What the heck is this thing and who left it here?_

Fox reached out and grabbed the staff to yank it out of the ground. As soon as he grabbed it the staff lit up in blue energy and engulfed his hands with it. Instead of letting go Fox pulled harder until he yanked it out of the ground. Once he did the staff glowed brighter and the energy engulfed his entire body for a moment before moving back into the staff. The power he felt holding the staff was intense, stronger than anything he'd felt before, feeling the urge to swing it around.

As Fox practice swung the staff around a feminine voice sudden echoed in his head. "If you are receiving this message, then I am in great danger. The staff you hold in your hands is a powerful weapon. You must learn to use it wisely. It will give you guidance when its powers can be used. My staff's main use is in combat, and in time your skills may grow. Try to use different actions to unleash it's powerful attacks. You can use it to explore the world around you. Try lifting rocks or knocking items out of the trees. I'm sure you will find it very useful. Take care of my staff and it will take care of you."

The voice stopped, leaving a minor headache in its place. As if the message the voice left didn't confuse him enough already. Fox guessed the message must've been linked to staff, most likely activating to his touch, or whoever grabbed the staff. The message was definitely vague and left Fox a little confused, though at least it explained the staff a little bit, apparent the thing was more powerful than it looked. What concerned Fox was the beginning of the message, clearly the woman was in trouble but without more information there wasn't much he could do. Added on to the somehow hearing the voice in his mind the whole situation was just mind boggling for Fox. Whoever the voice belonged to sounded very attractive, giving Fox a small urge to find her. He quickly pushed the thought out of his mind, he had other business that demanded his immediate attention, and though finding the woman would certainly become a priority later.

Upon looking around, Fox noticed a large stone door built into the rocks nearby. The door looked secure, thick enough to stop against a large explosion. Fox hesitantly made his way towards it, keeping a hand on the staff just in case.

 _Makes sense the Queen Earthwalker would be in the most secure building._

Suddenly, the door lifted up, causing Fox to reach for the staff out of caution. Out of the doorway came four dinosaurs towards him. These dinosaurs were much different than the others in the Hallow. They were much smaller than the residents but walked on two legs, carried weapons, and wore armor, and they were also carnivores. To Fox, they looked like very small T-Rexes, but still appeared to be quite muscular and their arms were longer, giving them full movement. Each of them carried a spiked mace, and clearly had the strength to deal incredible damage with them. Fox immediately knew from their expressions, roars, and them rushing towards him, that they were not friendly.

"It's time to use my staff in combat." The voice echoed in Fox's head as the reptiles surrounded him.

 _No duh, even a blind man could see that._ Fox thought as he readied himself.

Instead of waiting to be attacked Fox lunged at the nearest dinosaur and swung at his head. The sudden move caught his enemies off guard, allowing Fox to easily get past the dinosaur's guard and his staff to connect. The dinosaur screamed as the staff connected to his temple, collapsing to his knees, making him an easy finishing target. Fox used the momentum of his first blow to swing the staff in an upward attack, connecting to the dinosaur's chin, sending him flying and knocking him out.

Fox turned in time to see another dinosaur charging from his right. He turned just as the dinosaur swung his mace at him. Timing it just right, Fox brought the staff and blocked the blow, and rotated with the attack to push the dinosaur off balance. With the same move, Fox connected his staff to the dinosaur's knee, causing him to collapse. Fox took advantage of the moment and swung the staff in a powerful downward arc on top of the dinosaur's head, who collapsed on the ground with a loud thud.

The remaining two dinosaurs rushed at Fox at the same time from two directions. Fox jumped back as the dinosaurs swung at him, barely avoiding their blows. Before the dinosaurs could recover Fox swung the staff in a wild strike, hitting both of them in the head. The dinosaurs staggered back, clearly stunned, giving Fox a moment he intended to use. Fox lunged at the closest dinosaur, spinning his staff like a propeller, hitting his target in the head multiple times before finishing him off with a powerful spin stroke, knocking h out. At that point, the final dinosaur had recovered and rushed at Fox, swinging his mace to take him out. Fox jumped back, barely avoiding the blow and saw that the dinosaur had overstepped himself. He lunged his staff forward, the tip hitting the dinosaur in the groin, causing him to scream in pain and collapse to his knees. Fox, finished him off with a powerful swing blow to the temple.

 _Alright, that went better than I thought it would._

With the strange dinosaurs defeated, Fox cautiously approached the door that had closed. He half expected a trap or more enemies to appear. Looking around, Fox saw no lever to open it, making him guess the way inside was hidden. It wasn't until Fox looked up that he saw a glowing symbol over the door.

As Fox got closer he heard the voice echoing in his mind again. "This message will only appear if my staff feels that you are ready to become it's master. Before the staff becomes your own you must learn to see and feel its call through your hands. Follow it's call and discover what lies beneath."

Fox shrugged as he tried to aim the staff as best he could at the symbol, it was nearly impossible with no sights, let alone how to fire it. He guessed the angel and felt a charge building up as he gripped the staff tighter. The end glowed until a small fireball shot out but missed the symbol by quite a bit. Fox adjusted his aim and fired again, only to slightly miss the symbol. The third shot hit the edge of the symbol, causing it to light up. Instantly, the door opened slowly, allowing Fox to enter.

 _Ok, so without sights this thing is going to primarily be a close quarter weapon, at least until I perfect firing it._

"Is anyone there?" Fox shouted as he ran through the hall.

Fox turned the corner to see a large Earthwalker chained at the end of the room. It was difficult for Fox to tell but he guessed she was a female, and important from the crown on her head. It didn't take much for Fox to figure out who she was and why she was chained up.

"Are you ok, my name is Fox McCloud. And you must be the Queen Earthwalker?"

The Earthwalker looked up at Fox and nodded. She started speaking in a language Fox didn't understand, who looked back at her confused. Without the translator Fox had no idea what she was saying, though he hoped Slippy could translate, at least he has an understanding of the language.

Fox radioed Slippy is frustration. "Did you get that, Slippy?"

"You got to go to the Ice Mountain and rescue her son, the Prince Tricky."

Fox looked at the hologram of Slippy's head for a moment before replying back. "Nice name. Ok, lady, I'll bring your son back to you. Ah, can you give me any directions?"

The Queen Earthwalker spoke again and all Fox could do was nod, again. Fox was already getting frustrated with the language barrier. If it wasn't for Slippy translating he'd be completely lost.

Suddenly, the Queen Earthwalker let out a loud roar that caused Fox to cover his ears. The roar echoed throughout the Hallow, and Fox was sure everyone on Sauria could've heard it. Thankfully it didn't last very long and when uncovered his ears he didn't see anything different.

 _What the heck was that about?_

Fox looked at the Queen Earthwalker for an explanation but she just stared at him. Apparently, she'd figured out that he couldn't understand or she had already said it. Either way, it seemed to deal with her roar, and probably was meant for someone outside.

"You've got to talk to the big stone guy." Slippy's sudden voice Fox jump. "She called him a warpstone."

"That's all I need to know. I'll be back soon, Queen. Don't you worry."

Fox turned around and ran through the hallway, activating his communicator to Slippy. "Haven't you finished that translator yet?"

"It's nearly ready, Fox. I just need a bit more time. Slippy out."

Fox rolled his eyes as he existed the chamber and stopped to catch his breath for a moment. He was already starting to feel like the contract was getting way over his head. He hadn't even been on Sauria and already he had to fight Sharpclaw warriors, found a mystical staff with some kind of message from a woman that sounded smoking out, been asked to rescue some prince, found himself walking around a place where he didn't understand the language, and was supposed to talk to some giant stone guy. The contract was NOT going how he'd thought it would and was already proving dangerous, seeming more like a combat and rescue mission.

 _What the heck have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

Lord Zathora's Palace

"Morning already, . . . great, shouldn't have spent all night shaking the bed." Zathora grumbled softly to herself as she slowly pushed open her bedroom doors as quietly as possible.

 _I guess I might as well get started before the kids wake up._

Zathora yawned and stretched as she walked out of her bedroom into the main hallway. Her footsteps echoed made no sound as she made her way through the castle, finding no one else, except a couple servants, awake and roaming the halls, none in her path though. Even the children, all twenty - six of them, were sound asleep; something she rarely experienced at one moment in her eternal life, leaving nothing to interrupt Zathora from her morning coffee. As powerful as Zathora was even she needed some morning stimulant from time to time.

 _Might as well take advantage of this rare moment while I have it._

Zathora walked slowly and softly through the castle, hoping to avoid waking the kids, something she'd become a professional at in recent few thousand years. Within minutes she had made her way to the main balcony and pushed the windows opened, revealing a spectacular view before her. She fought back a yawn as she looked out of her castle window, trying to get whatever drowsiness out of her system before she really took in the view. It became a habit of hers a few centuries ago to begin the day by staring out the balcony window, taking in the beauty to start off in a positive light. She'd often gaze out the window for a few minutes before beginning her business, it always brought a smile to her face, that morning was no different.

Suddenly, as Zathora was made a cup of coffee appear in her hands, she felt a strong, growing presence on the back of her mind. She had enough of these feelings in the past to know what was coming, and it made her growl softly to herself.

 _Great, another early morning vision, it'd better be important to bother me this early._

Zathora sighed as she opened her mind, letting the vision display itself. The vision brought her seeing potential danger to a planet she held dear to her heart. Hardly the first time Zathora's had visions of that planet being in danger, though she was always worried when it did, and if it required her involvement, which was extremely rare.

 _Hm, looks serious, it's been a couple centuries since I've seen some trouble involving Cerinia._

Zathora was suddenly snapped out of her train of thought by the sounds of heavy footsteps behind her, followed a minute later by a deep voice. "What are you seeing, hun?"

Zathora turned around to see a large, Verian male approaching her. She fought back a grin watching him yawn and stretch as he walked towards her. Seeing such a big man yawn and walking funny after such a "rough" night brought a smile to her face. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't a cute sight to her. However, she wasn't about to give him any attention, not till she teased him a little.

"Not even a good morning beautiful, or are the kids still asleep, Argnol?" Zathora replied with a half-smile, then turned back to gazing out the window.

Zathora looked out the window, refusing to turn around as Argnol approached her from behind. She remained perfectly still as he stopped right behind her, leaned against her back, and started wrapping his arms around her waist. Even when he kissed her neck she hardly moved. Zathora wasn't about to show her mate the slightest attention, knowing big full well that it drove him crazy. It wasn't easy when he gripped her hips and pulled her back against his chest, but she resisted.

"Ok, I'm sorry, sweetheart, good morning. Are the kids still sleeping?" Argnol said in a low voice, gently kissing Zathora's neck.

"That's better, good morning to you too handsome." Zathora replied as she smiled and gripped Argnol's hands around her hips. "And yes, the kids are still asleep, for now, but don't get any ideas."

"Of course, after all the time we've been married I know it's not good for my health to mess with you after you've had a vision."

"Then why are your hands still on my hips? Zathora said in a deep voice, throwing in some sarcasm.

"Oh, sorry, Zathora." Argnol said as he let go of Zathora's hips and took a step back. "So, what did you see in your vision?"

"A grave threat arising in the Lylat System." Zathora replied, then smirked once she realized how cliché she sounded. "Oh boy, that sounded bad, but you get the point."

"I guess so, you're answer was pretty vague. There's been ALOT of threats recently in the Lylat System. I got to ask, does what it is threaten you?"

"Of course not, Argnol, nothing does, except changing our kids' diapers but that's beside the point." Zathora growled playfully, knowing her husband was just teasing her. "But, events will unfold to threaten not just Lylat System but also the Andromeda System, particularly Cerinia and Corneria."

"Really, are you sure about that?"

Zathora glared daggers at Argnol. "You know my visions are never wrong, I am certain of it. Unfortunately, if things become as bad as I think then I may have to directly intervene."

Zathora fought back a laugh as Argnol's has dropped in shock. "Wait, you, directly intervening against a threat? Could things really get that bad for you to actually step in?"

Zathora smirked at Argnol's expression, it always made her laugh. Even after all the time they've been married he still had trouble accepting just how truly powerful she truly was and what her duty involved; let alone the fact that as powerful as he was Argnol wasn't even an insect compared to Zathora's power. It made it hard for Argnol to believe that she'd actually intervene with anything.

"Possibly, but it is highly unlikely things will get that bad. That is a worst case scenario, but I believe that there is a mercenary team called Star Fox who could be useful to preventing it from happening, they just need the right guidance." Zathora explained.

"Seems a bit bold to me, but if you think that this Star Fox team will work then there's nothing I can do to stop you, literally. You always know what to do anyway, and it's always worked."

Zathora smiled as she looked at her husband. "Oh ye of little faith. You should know to trust in me by now, especially in events like this."

"I do, I have long given up the thought of arguing with you, it never ends well for me." Argnol sighed to himself. "So, what are you really going to do about this threat then?"

"Right now, just observe and maybe give the Cornerians and Cerinians, particularly Star Fox, some small pushes in the right direction. Hopefully that will be enough to prevent the threat from getting out of their abilities to handle."

"I hope so, sounds like things are about to get rough real quick for the two systems."

"Hard to say, there are a lot of uncertainties and small factors when it comes to trying to predict the future." Zathora said, then looked out the window and replied in a deep, certain voice. "One thing is certain, things in the Lylat System are about to go to hell, and they don't even realize it."

To be continued.

* * *

So Star Fox has arrived on Sauria and Fox managed to save the Earthwalker village from a Sharpclaw attack. Now he has to save the Sharpclaw prince. Meanwhile Daria McCloud experienced an unusual mission on Macbeth, who are the Sharpscale twins and what are they up too? And, who is this Zathora and what did she see?

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty y'all.


	6. Rescue the Annoying Prince

Here we go another chapter down for Star Fox: Annihilation, man I'm progressing with this story much quicker than I thought I would. Hopefully I can keep it up.

It's been a while since I've watched a play through on Star Fox Adventures, never played it unfortunately but saw lots of playthroughs. I'm trying to remember when Fox finally gets the translator and finds out about the Sharpclaw. Hopefully I got it right.

This chapter will be shorter than the others, as it only has two scenes. The first scene of rescuing Tricky will be long while the scene with Shelby will be much shorter. Don't worry; most chapters will be longer than this.

This chapter involves the scene where Fox rescues Prince Tricky from the Sharpclaws, mostly the speed chase. I'm not sure how well I've written it out but I hope it's adequate.

In this chapter, I'm introducing two of my OCs, Shelby Wilson-McCloud and Daria McCloud. I'll go more into Shelby in this chapter and save Daria for later, though both will have big impacts on the story. BTW, I meant for that scene to be in the previous chapter but thought that it'd make it too long so I added it to this one.

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 5: Rescue the Annoying Prince

Sauria

 _Ok, this must be the place._ Fox thought as he stepped over the unconscious Sharpclaw and looked around at the large clearing before him, taking a moment to pause and catch his breath.

Fox wrapped his arms around his body, trying to keep warm; the area was much colder than what it was in Thorntail Hallow, making him wish he's brought a coat. Thankfully, being a red fox, his fur was thick enough to keep him from freezing to death. The cold greatly encouraged him to hurry up and find the captured prince. So far, that was taking longer and becoming more difficult than Fox predicted. It seemed that every few steps brought him to more dangers and enemies, leading Fox to his current location at the edge of some clearing in ankle deep snow.

Thanks to translator Slippy finally managed to install, Fox was able to get some information as to what was going on. He learned that the dinosaurs attacking him were called Sharpclaw and lead by an evil dictator named General Scales. From what the other dinosaurs told him, General Scales was leading the Sharpclaw in an attempt to conquer Sauria, seemed like they were succeeding quite a bit from the look of things. At the moment, Fox couldn't decide if he should treat them as a threat or not, mostly due to the circumstances of the contract; being supposed to avoid combat at all costs. Fox just couldn't shake the feeling that the Sharpclaw were somehow involved with the planet breaking apart. He wasn't going to do anything about them, being currently trying to rescue the prince, till he was certain.

Fox pressed forward into the clearing, at first glances it seemed as if there was no way forward. Upon closer observation, Fox spotted a large door slightly hidden at the far end similar to the one the Queen Earthwalker was stuck behind. He immediately guessed the prince was behind it. Looking up above the door, Fox saw the same symbol he saw earlier in Thorntail Hallow.

 _Is it just me or is this too easy._ Fox thought as he raised his staff and aimed at the symbol.

Fox was getting better at shooting the staff, didn't take him long to figure out he was relying on the wrong thing to aim. The staff was aimed through energy and his connection to it, not sights, which Fox was starting to think, was more effective. He fired and the blast hit the symbol on the first shot, opening the door. Once the door was fully open Fox rushed inside, hoping to find the prince. He quickly stopped when he heard the sounds of Sharpclaw growing and laughing deeper in the room. From the sounds he guessed there was at least two.

 _Great, more Sharpclaw to deal with, at least they're stupid._

Fox turned the corner and froze when he saw what was waiting from him. At the back of the room was the prince, at least Fox guessed that, and two Sharpclaw guarding him. They were facing the other way and hadn't seen him yet. The Sharpclaw were teasing their prisoner, poking him with their maces, scaring him.

Fox couldn't help but be enraged watching the spectacle and rushed towards them. "Hey scale face! Pick on someone your own size."

The Sharpclaw turned around and jumped at the sight of Fox standing behind him. They looked at each other confused for a moment, and then started shouting at Fox in their native tongue. Though Fox couldn't understand exactly what they were saying he guessed they were shouting insults at him and demanding he answer who he was. The way they brandished their weapons at him proved that to him, it didn't frighten him in the least.

"I am Fox McCloud, lead pilot of the Star Fox team. I've come to take the prince back to his . . . home."

Out of the corner of his eye, Fox noticed Tricky trying to slip away. The Sharpclaw noticed and turned around to spot Tricky.

"Hey wait!" Fox shouted at Tricky who took off running.

Fox took his attention off the Sharpclaw for too long, one of the rushed him and slammed his shoulder into Fox's chest sending him flying. He landed hard on the ground gasping for breath expecting the Sharpclaw to be on top of him but they weren't. Instead they were more focused on recovering the prince than him. Fox looked up in time to see the prince run out of the cave before disappearing out of his sight. The two Sharpclaw jumped on what looked like hover bikes and took off after the prince.

 _Dang it, how could I let my guard down? I can't let them get the prince; the Queen would never tell me what's going on._

Fox stood up, knowing that there was no chance he could keep up to the Sharpclaw, till he spotted a third hover bike in the corner of the room and ran towards it and hoped on, hoping it work similarly enough to his motorcycle. It barely takes Fox a moment to figure out how to turn it on and how to operate the important stuff: steering, throttle, and brakes. He gripped the throttle and shot out of the room and onto the snowy slope after the Sharpclaw.

The hover bike was faster than Fox expected, causing him to nearly lose control right out of the gate. He quickly shifted his control and pursued as best he could after the Sharpclaw. There wasn't any time for him to adjust himself to the hover bike and properly learn to control it, not with the prince in trouble. At least his decade long experience of motorcycle riding was about to pay off.

Fox found himself speeding along a path on the side of the mountain, passing bushes and overhanging ice bridges like they were blurs. What little of the scenery Fox could see was beautiful but he didn't have the time to stop and smell the snow flowers. It took everything Fox had to keep from crashing at certain points due to how sharp the turns were. The terrain felt more like a trail/race track than the side of a mountain given how it curves into the slope, making Fox think it was cut a long time ago. Thankfully the hover bike handled the sharp turns well, allowing him to catch up on the wasn't long till Fox was able to see one of the Sharpclaws up ahead, handling the terrain a lot worse than he was. _There you bastards are, I got a bond to pick with you._

The closest Sharpclaw turned around as he approached and shouted what Fox guessed was an insult. Fox just ignored the Sharpclaw and continued his approach till he saw what his response was. The Sharpclaw reached into his pack and pulled out what looked like a ball covered in long spikes. He tossed it at Fox who swerved in time to dodge it and barely avoid the explosion that followed afterwards. Didn't take much for Fox to figure out it was some kind of mine, and the Sharpclaw had quite a few of them from what he could see. The Sharpclaw tossed mine after mine at Fox who barely dodged every one, blowing snow everywhere.

 _What the heck are they trying to do, start an avalanche?_

Fox throttled till he was nearly on top of the Sharpclaw and waited from him to react. The Sharpclaw looked behind him, saw Fox and shouted before tossing a mine at him. Fox, however, caught the mine and threw it towards the Sharpclaw, making it land right of front of him. The mine detonated and the explosion threw the Sharpclaw off balance, nearly causing him to crash. Fox took advantage and easily flew past the Sharpclaw, putting himself significantly closer to the prince.

Up ahead, Fox caught a glimpse of the prince running as fast as he could with the lead Sharpclaw close behind him. He couldn't help but be impressed that somehow the prince was keeping a good speed compared to the Sharpclaw's hover bikes, he seemed to only be a little slower. He also seemed to have great endurance to keep that pace for so long, but he seemed to be tiring out.

 _Dang it, this little guy's faster than he looks._

Fox gunned his hover bike, slowly catching up the lead Sharpclaw as the prince turned a corner and disappeared from his sight. He tried to pass the Sharpclaw but found him being expertly blocked, apparently it wasn't the guy's first race. No matter what he did the Sharpclaw blocked him, frustrating Fox. He knew he had to try something before the Sharpclaw got to the prince, at least they were focusing on him, not so much on their surroundings.

Fox turned slowly to the left, making the lead Sharpclaw turn to block him, then swerved quickly to the right swiftly passing him. Before the Sharpclaw realized what had happened Fox was pulling ahead. He swerved the end of his hover bike into the front of the Sharpclaw's, throwing him off balance and nearly causing him to crash. As the Sharpclaw tried to regain control Fox stuck out his tongue then throttled as fast as he could ahead of them.

The snow around Fox became a blur as he pushed the hover bike as fast as he could to locate the prince. Though Fox kept his eyes on his surroundings he was starting to wonder where the prince had gone to; there was no way the prince was that far ahead. Fox began to think the prince was hiding and had already sped past him, or knew a secret path and had disappeared. It infuriated Fox to think he was most likely going to have to comb the snow covered mountains to find his target.

 _Where the heck did the little guy go?"_

Fox looked around for too long to find himself headed towards a cliff. He applied the brake as hard as he could but it wasn't quick enough. Up ahead, Fox spotted a small pool of water under the cliff, most likely filled with freezing water, causing him to squeeze the break harder with no success.

"OH CRAP!" Fox screamed as he flew over the cliff.

Fox let go of the hover bike as he flew through the air, screaming and wildly waving his arms. He plunged for what felt like a while before landing hard in the water on his back, knocking the breath out of him. The hover bike landed nearby tugging him down deep but he managed to pull away and eventually surface, surprised to find himself in warm water

 _At least the water's warm, must be a hot springs._

Fox swam to the snow covered beach and pulled himself out of the water before collapsing. He laid in the snow gasping for breath, taking his time to gather his strength. After a moment, Fox heard foot prints crunching through the snow towards him. He turned his head to see the prince standing nearby looking curiously at him. He smiled to himself, glad that he didn't have to continue chasing the prince.

As Fox stood up he heard shouting above him. He turned around to see the two Sharpclaw at the edge of the cliff shouting down at him. To him, the prince looked like a bouncy all jumping as much as he did.

"WHAT?" Fox shouted, shrugging his arms in confusion.

Tricky continued to talk in his native tongue, despite Fox not understanding. Whatever Tricky was saying it appeared to be humorous the way he was laughing. Fox turned to his wrist communicator hoping to activate the translator but had some difficulty, and Tricky just kept on talking.

"I . . . I can't understand you."

Tricky continued to talk in his native tongue till Fox got the translator activated and he could understand Tricky plain as day. ". . . hot spring or you'd be frozen by now."

"Why you little?" Fox shook his fist at Tricky.

"I wouldn't if I were you. My dad's a King Earthwalker and he'll bash you up!"

Fox looked at Tricky with a solemn face. "I don't think he'll be doing any bashing. He's been captured. That's why I've been sent to rescue you."

Fox remembered some of the rumors he heard about the King Earthwalker's capture. Though it didn't sound pretty Fox was certain he was still alive, but most likely in worst condition than Tricky's mother. It didn't feel right for Fox to tell Tricky things he wasn't fully certain on but Tricky still deserved to know the basics.

"He's been captured?" Tricky blurted out.

"That's right, it was your mother that sent me to find you."

"Is she . . . OK?"

"She'll be just fine, but we need to get your home." Fox replied, holding back the fact that his mother was currently chained up in a room.

Fox took off running, checking behind him to make sure that Tricky was following. He jogged at a slow pace so Tricky could keep up. Didn't help that Tricky asked him question after question, most of them Fox just shrugged off or answered that he didn't know, which was true. Apparently, there was a lot he didn't know about Sauria, and was painfully finding out. Fox couldn't help but wonder how strange and dangerous would become, and if he'd ever figure out what was going on, solve the problem, get off Sauria, go back to Vixy and get paid.

 _Is it just me or is this contract getting more complicated by the second?_

* * *

Corneria General Hospital

The front door to the clinic flew open as Shelby Wilson-McCloud entered causing the filled room to fall silent at her presence. Seeing the famous vixen brought an awe to the room, though no one said anything. Shelby ignored their stares and made her way to the front desk where a small rabbit sat, watching her approach.

"Mrs. Stanford, hold my calls this morning unless it's important."

"Yes ma'am, I'll let you know if anything demands your immediate attention."

"Thank you, are we busy this morning?"

"Yes ma'am, all departments are busy today. There was an accident on the highway and all doctors have been called in to assist. The only ones who haven't are the essential staff in your division."

"Huh, bad timing for a bad event, just when we're so close to a break though." Shelby replied. "If the hospital needs help with the patients don't be afraid to ask."

"I doubt they will, your research is too valuable. Just don't expect to get much done today with the skeleton crew you have."

"I've gotten more done with less. You just worry about the patients and try to have a good day."

"You too ma'am."

Shelby nodded and proceeded on past the security doors in a hurry, she knew that it was only a matter of time before she was interrupted. Thankfully, no one bothered her as she made her way down the hallway to her office, no one wanted to upset the head doctor, even when she made it into her division, research. Some people waved at her as she passed and she waved back, though no one asked her any questions.

Shelby entered her office and sat down at her desk in a huff, letting out a deep sigh as she laid back in her chair. She knew the day was going to be long, particularly with half her staff assisting with the traffic accident victims. At least she was there early and had some time to relax.

As Shelby laid back in her chair she looked at the two photographs on her desk, paying close attention to the first one. She smiled looking at the picture of her and her husband on their wedding day, remembering the loving years she spent with James McCloud. Thinking of the days they dated made her laugh, James was certainly shy around her and she was a little stiff at first after her first marriage ended in divorce when her husband cheated on her. To make things worse James was going through grieving his late wife Vixy's death in a car bombing, though it had happened a year before they began dating it was still tough for James. It took Shelby nearly two years to convince James they were right for each other, and she had to be the one to propose; she still remembered the look he had on his face when she did and he agreed. The next, several years were some of the best years of her life, only to be cut short when James took that fateful contact to Venom with Peppy and Pigma and never returned.

Shelby shook her head as she wiped a tear from her eye. _After all this time and I still cry remembering him._

Shelby turned her head to the second picture of her smiling with her family shortly before James' disappearance. All of the kids were piled around James and Shelby as they celebrated their fifth anniversary. Shelby's son Zane from her first marriage stood beside her while James' two boys, Fox and his older brother Todd stood beside him. In the middle were their three kids, Daria the oldest, and their twins Sasha and Samuel. Even though the photo was nearly ten years old she still remembered that day fondly, and made her a little sad that everyone in the photo couldn't be together, a lot had happened since that day. She missed James and Todd desperately, knowing she would most likely never see them again, but never gave up hope. Instead she focuses on the family she still had, cherishing them greatly.

 _The next reunion had better be soon, it's been too long since we were all together._

Shelby was awakened from her train of thought by her work phone buzzing loudly, indicating that Mrs. Stanford was calling her, making her answer it reluctantly. "Is there an important call or something big demanding my attention, Mrs. Stanford?"

"It is, Mrs. McCloud, a high priority call came in from a unconfirmed number on Macbeth. The person claims to be named Daria."

Shelby's eyes lit up upon hearing Daria's name. "Patch it through then, Mrs. Stanford."

"Right away, ma'am, I'll patch the video feed through immediately."

Shelby almost ran to her desk and sat down in her chair as soon as the call ended. The screen came to a life with a picture of a young, attractive vixen wearing a black, Cornerian Special Forces uniform smiling back at Shelby. The vixen appeared to be in her early twenties with a stern but also sarcastic look on her face. She was certainly a hybrid of an Arctic fox and red fox, with white fur that was thicker than that of a red fox but not quite as thick as an arctic one. Her dark, red hair was tied in a ponytail though a strand hung down, getting in the way of her green eyes. The vixen's uniform appeared to be a little tight, especially around her large breasts and butt, though she didn't seem to mind. Shelby was reminded of herself when she was younger, with a little of her late husband thrown in.

Shelby smiled as she waves at the screen. "Daria, it's been a long time, sweetheart, are you so busy that you forget to call your own mother?"

"Yes mom, we've been running missions nonstop for weeks. This is the first real break I've gotten in a long time, so I figured I'd call you before I was called on another mission."

"Let me guess, you can't tell me due to security reasons."

"Yes mom, you know CSP has a strict confidentiality policy." Daria replied. "But still, it's good to see you mom."

"Always good to see you too, sweetie, though hopefully soon it'll be in person."

"I hope so too, I could really use a break, not from combat but the perverts constantly trying to bed or grope me. You'd think they'd eventually learn after I broke so many of their arms."

"That's perverts for you, I went through the same thing when I was your age. Just ignore and, only if you have to, stand up for yourself." Shelby said with a head shake. "I think we're getting off subject. So, Daria, any new boyfriend I should know about?"

Daria glared at Shelby through the screen, crossing her arms under her ample breasts. "No mom, not right now, I've been too busy to date."

"What about that nameless guy you were dating a while back?"

"He's not nameless mom, I just never told you his name, for security reasons."

"Oh yeah, that's not the least bit suspicious." Shelby replied with a lot of sarcasm."

"Yeah, yeah, let's just say I can't tell you his name for our safety, and for my career. And to answer the obvious question, no, I did not sleep with him."

"Well that's some comfort, though I'd still like to someday know his name."

"Someday, but not today, mom. Let's change the subject please." Daria said, getting a nod from Shelby. "So, mom, how are the twins?"

"Same as always, they keep getting into trouble and keep acting cute to try to get out of it."

Daria shook her head with a slight smile. "Hard to be cute when you're a teenager. Sasha and Samuel should know that by now."

"You're one to talk, you were pretty similar when you were their age."

"True, except I always admitted it with pride whenever I smacked some bully upside the head."

"And kicked Billy Baston in the balls so hard you broke his pelvis in the tenth grade." Shelby added, glaring at the screen.

"Hey, that bastard canine grabbed my breasts and told me that he wanted to see them bouncing in his bed. How the hell was I supposed to take that? There was no chance I was letting that spoiled brat pervert get away with treating me like some kind of meat. Someone had to put him in his place and it sure wasn't going to be his parents."

Shelby sighed as she looked at the ceiling for a moment. She didn't blame Daria for what she did, if anything she was proud of her for standing up to the pervert. Shelby just wished Daria was more subtle, not the near crazy vixen she is; it would certainly have made raising her a lot easier. At least the military life had calmed her down a little, though she still had outbursts at times.

"I can't help but agree with you on that, though please, in the future, try to be more subtle." Shelby pleaded.

"I'll try but that's like asking me not to be me."

"Very funny, but true, you are James' and my daughter after all, being subtle is just not in our nature."

"That's why I just embrace it." Daria replied with a smirk. "Just out of curiosity, when was the last time you heard from Fox?"

"A few days ago, he calls every now and then to talk. We didn't discuss much beyond Vixy."

"I kind of figured that, how is Vixy doing, I haven't seen her since my tour began. I'll be sure to see her when my tour's done."

"You'd better, little Vixy adores her aunt Daria." Shelby replied with a smirk. "Remind me, Daria, isn't your tour ending soon?"

"Yes it is, only got a month left, then I'm officially discharged."

"Hm, you're not going to reenlist?"

"Nah, I've put in my time, I'm ready for something else. Might even try to join Star Fox, if I can convince my bonehead brother to let me join." Daria replied, letting a playful growl that was barely audible over the call.

"Ah, you did always speak about following in your father's footsteps. You certainly got the skills to join, though Fox has always been stubborn about letting you join, convincing him will not be an easy task." Shelby said, standing up and pacing behind her chair for a moment before sitting back down. "If you like I can talk to Fox about letting you join Star Fox?"

"Really, why would you do that?"

"Because he's definitely not going to agree if you ask him directly. The only people who could possibly convince him are me or Peppy."

"Hm, you got a point, though what about Fara?" Daria asked. "She likes me and Fox still obeys her. Even after the divorce Fara still has him trained."

"It's not hard for a beautiful vixen with a fine ass to get a fox, or any guy, to obey her. But that's a little off topic."

"I'll say, never comfortable to hear your mother talk about sex. Still, thanks for the offer, where is Fox anyway?"

"He's on a contract for Fara and the Cornerian military. It was some kind of confidential contract so that's all I know." Shelby answered.

"Ah, I know how that goes. Do you know how long he'll be gone?"

"No, Fox didn't have a clear answer, but he said he'd let me know when he'd get back. I'll bring you up when he calls."

"Alright, thanks mom. Wish I could talk more but I got a briefing in ten minutes. I have to get ready." Daria said, looking a little sad to end their conversation."

"I understand, stay safe and come back in one piece."

"I always do mom. Take care and I love you."

"I love you too sweetie."

Shelby smiled as she ended the video call and slumped back into her chair. The thought of Daria on the Star Fox team, giving Fox grief every chance she got, was enough to make her laugh. She knew Fox would mostly likely freak out when she discussed it with him, but he'd eventually agree, he always did in the end. Shelby thought about it for a few minutes before remembering she has a job to do, being the head of Cornelia's Biological Research Division required her full attention, and she could focus on Fox and Daria later.

To be continued.

* * *

Fox has managed to rescue Prince Tricky from the Sharpclaw, only to learn there's so much more upbeat. Meanwhile, Daria and Shelby are planning to convince Fox to let his half-sister join Star Fox, but will Fox still be alive for the conversation to happen.

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty y'all.


	7. Love at First Peak

Here we go again, another chapter for Star Fox: Annihilation. Man, I'm cranking these chapters out quickly.

I'm not really sure what to say, there's another scene from Star Fox Adventures in this chapter. It's the famous scene where Fox first saw Krystal, as she's trapped in a crystal, cruel irony.

I know I didn't write out much to the scene of Fox making his way through the Krazoa Palace to Krystal, I didn't feel like writing out all of that, especially since I already kind of did that earlier when I wrote out Krystal making her way through the palace. So forgive me on that.

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 6: Love at First Peak

Krazoa Temple, Sauria

"Come on Tricky, keep up." Fox called back to Tricky as he jogged ahead.

"I'm trying, Fox, you're just so fast."

"And older, in better shaped, and ALOT more experienced."

Tricky laughed as Fox slowed down to allow him to catch up. As they ran, Fox's mind drifted back on the last few hours. They've been running around Sauria for a while, ever since Fox returned Tricky to his mother. The last thing he expected was for the Queen Earthwalker to give him Tricky as an assistant/companion; to say he wasn't happy about it would be an understatement. He tried to convince the Queen it was too dangerous but she insisted. After the advice she gave him Fox felt obliged to accept, though he didn't like the thought of babysitting a prince. After a quick conversation, Fox and Tricky headed to a place called Moon Mountain Pass where they were currently trying to find their way around. The place definitely earned its name given it looked like a moon, which according to the Queen, and Peppy, it was after a moon collided with the planet. It looked and felt creepy to Fox to say the least, he couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched the whole time. It made progress slow for them with Fox hoping to eventually come across a lead or something that'll tell him what he's supposed to do.

 _Of course this would be my luck, stuck on a long, tiresome contract being followed by a pet dinosaur. If I was a child this would be a dream come true._ Fox thought as he kept his pace through the valley. _The reward had better be worth it._

"Help me . . . Please help me . . . I'm dying." A familiar feminine voice called out causing Fox to freeze on the spot.

Fox looked around but only saw him and Tricky, causing the hairs on his neck to stand up. He instinctively reached for the staff but kept it sheathed on his back, not wanting to draw it unless he was certain there was danger.

"Can you hear that?' Fox said to Tricky who seemed to be looking around just as confused as him.

"I need Krazoa Spirits or I will not survive. Help me" The feminine voice called out again.

Fox looked at Tricky for answers only to get a head shake in return. He didn't need to be a genius to guess that whoever or whatever the voice was coming from was serious. Though in Fox's experience he'd learned to be careful of such calls for help as they'd often led to a trap. He couldn't shake the feeling that the woman was in serious danger; he just needed more information than what he heard.

"Do you accept to accept our test?" A deep voice echoed behind Fox, seeming to shake the area as it spoke.

A loud gasp from Tricky got Fox's attention as he looked at his companion to see him in a stunned state looking behind him. Fox turned around and froze when he saw what was looming over them. Before them stood a massive, ghost-like figure wearing a strange, long robe, glaring down at them. The figure's head looked just like the Krazoa statues that he'd seen located randomly throughout his adventure. The power coming from the figure was so intense that Fox could feel it causing his fur to stand up. Looking at it he had a few guesses as to what it was, though at that moment Fox only cared to determine if it was a threat or not. He guessed that since the figure wasn't attacking them that it wasn't a threat, but didn't lower his guard.

"A Krazoa!" Tricky shouted.

"What's it talking about? What test?" Fox asked, looking back at Tricky only to get a shrug back in response.

"Please . . . please." The feminine voice called out again.

Being the helpful hero he was, heading the woman's suffering voice weighed heavily on Fox's heart. He couldn't help but want to help her but still wasn't sure if he was just heading things or if it was a trap. His attention was mostly on the Krazoa who just stood there looking down at him and Tricky.

"I was released when she completed my test. But now she is in great danger and, for her to survive you must continue what she started and collect the remaining Krazoa spirits. For only the pure of heart can enter our shrines." The Krazoa spoke.

"I cannot just stop now to save this strange, the entire planet is falling apart." Fox replied, hating himself for how he sounded.

"Stop . . . please don't hurt me." The feminine voice screamed.

A strong shiver went down Fox's spine upon hearing the mysterious woman plead for mercy. The very thought of a woman being tortured, let along anyone going through such pain, made his blood boil. Hearing the woman scream and plead was starting to him listen to and take Krazoa seriously, and forget about his contract.

"Sounds like she's in big trouble, Fox." Tricky said, giving Fox a begging look.

"Find the remaining five Krazoa Shrines. Complete the tests within each and bring the Krazoa Spirits back to the Krazoa Palace." The Krazoa commanded.

"The Warp stone can get us there." Slippy added.

"When all the Spirits are return she will be saved. She is depending on you for her life."

Fox looked back and forth between Tricky and the Krazoa for a moment unsure of how response. Helping the vixen would mean temporarily halting his contract, which would no doubt infuriate Fara. But, being the gentleman and hero he was, sitting back and letting a woman get tortured was certainly not something he could live with knowing he could've saved her. However, Fox realized that rescuing the woman could help with his contract. The Queen Earthwalker did say that the Krazoa Spirits were tied to what was affecting Sauria, and the Krazoa did say that the woman was doing something with the Krazoa Spirits before she was trapped.

 _Huh, maybe if I help this woman I can get a better understanding of what is going on and how to solve the problem. Though I'm not sure how Fara and the others will see it._

Fox looked down at Tricky to see him putting on the same puppy dog eyes look that Vixy often gave him. Vixy did a better job of pulling it off but Tricky was still cute. Fox didn't need much convincing to make his decision.

Fox shrugged his shoulders and replied. "I guess we better help her."

X

 _Damn that was a heck of a fight and journey._ Fox thought as he materialized at the Krazoa Palace.

Fox stretched as he stood up, taking in the area around him, only to gasp when he saw what was in front of him. Less than a hundred yards in front of him was the massive and old Krazoa Palace. He had never seen anything like it in the Lylat System. It made Fox wonder how old the palace was as it looked over than anything he'd seen before and how such a large feat could've been completed. The place looked like a giant maze, and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was somehow a trap.

"So this is Krazoa Palace." Fox said as he marveled at the beauty of the place. "Ok, Tricky, let's find out where we can release this spirit. Tricky?"

Fox looked around to find Tricky nowhere around him. He thought that the warpstone had forgotten about Tricky or something had happened to him during the transportation. In either case the Queen Earthwalker was probably going to be upset at him.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I cannot warp dinosaurs." Fox heard the warpstone's voice, though he didn't see him.

"That's a shame." Fox said sarcastically.

"I can still hear you Fox." Fox heard Tricky's voice, making him blush.

Fox shook his head as he started his way towards the palace. After the recent fight and the being possessed by a Krazoa Spirit he was ready to get moving. The fight to get the spirit wasn't easy and having it in his body felt even less encouraging, though he could feel the intense power flowing through his veins having it in him. The sooner he got it out of him the better before he went mad with power.

The inside was even more spectacular than the outside, the artwork and design was unlike anything he'd ever seen. Fox was a little upset that he couldn't stop and observe the structures, he simply didn't have the time to. Instead, he focused on trying to find his way through the massive, maze of a palace. To Fox it felt like he was following the path of the woman the Krazoa mentioned, which made it easy for him to find his way through; he just had to watch out for what looked like floating tentacles. Seeing the tentacles made Fox very uneasy, as if they were going to start some kind of tentacle porn that a lot of creeps were into. That only made him progress faster through the palace, hoping to find his destination or discover what he was supposed to do as soon as possible. Fox was just glad he came across little resistance on his way up, other than the occasional puzzle that he would solve quickly.

After what felt like forever Fox managed to make it to the giant fan chamber and take one of the elevator fans to the top of the palace, hoping that's where he was supposed to go. Looking around he spotted what looked like a strange contraption with a giant crystal in center. He guessed that was where he was supposed to go and ran towards it, only to stop once he saw what was inside in the crystal.

A loud gasp escaped Fox's mouth when his eyes laid upon the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen stuck inside the crystal. As soon as he saw her Fox could've sworn he heard saxophones playing with such ferocity and love struck notes that time seemed to stand there. To say he was stunned by her beauty would've been an understatement. The word exotic didn't fit as her blue fur seemed to shine in what little light there was. Her body was the perfection of beauty with the perfect hour glass figure. Didn't help that her only clothing was a loincloth and strapless bra that to Fox did not do her beauty justice. There was no way Fox could describe her beauty. He knew almost immediately that her voice was the one she heard earlier.

"Wow . . . she's beautiful!" Fox's replied as his jaw dropped, then noticed a Krazoa Spirit flying around the crystal. "Who! A Krazoa Spirit? But how do I get it in there?"

Fox suddenly felt the platform shake a little and turned around to see what looked like a shrine similar to the Krazoa he saw earlier appearing out of an opening. It didn't take Fox long to figure out what he was supposed to do. But as he turned to head to the supposed shrine he couldn't help but feel drawn to the vixen trapped before him. Every second he starred at her seemed to distract his mind from his task more and more.

"What am I doing?" Fox mumbled.

Fox's mind became a blur as his mind became a blur as he starred lustfully at the vixen. He couldn't focus on anything beyond her as he looked her over. His eyes took in every voluptuous curve, unique tattoo, and detail in her face. There was something else besides the beauty of the vixen drawing him to her that Fox couldn't understand. Fox felt an urge similar to what he felt when he was around Fara, something much stronger than lust that drove him towards the vixen. The saxophone music blaring in his head seemed to get more intense the longer he starred at her.

"Peppy here." Peppy's hologram turned on, snapping Fox out of his trance. "What are you doing Fox? Release the spirit and get out of there. Peppy out."

'Ok, ok, I'm going."

Fox turned around to head down the ramp only to look over his shoulder one last time at the blue vixen. Leaving the most beautiful vixen he'd ever seen in such a state seemed to break his heart. He knew he didn't have much of a choice if he was going to save her and the planet, but it still hurt him to leave her. Fox hoped she'd be alright when he got back.

 _I don't know why I'm saying this but I swear I'll free you._

* * *

Great Fox rec room

"Hey Miyu, have you seen Vixy?" Fay shouted as Miyu entered the rec room.

Miyu froze as she turned around to see Fay looking under a lounge chair. She didn't even notice her teammate in the room when she walked in, she was too tired after spending all morning taking care of Vixy. They agreed after Fox left that she'd look after Vixy in the morning while Fay would in the afternoon. From the looks of things, Fay had made the mistake of playing hide and seek with Vixy. Seeing it made Miyu groan, all she wanted to do was relax, not play around when it was Fay's turn.

"Uh, no, I haven't seen her since lunch. Why are you asking?" Miyu replied suspiciously. "Did you lose her?"

"Not really, I know she's somewhere in the room, I just can't find her."

Miyu shook her head, she wasn't surprised in the least. Vixy was a next level expert when it came to hide and seek. She had long given up playing the game with her, and told Fay she should do the same, apparently she still hadn't listened to her. It didn't help that the rec room had nearly every form of recreation imaginable; ranging from a pool table to the latest video game console. Miyu thought it was one reason why the Star Fox was in its current condition, with Slippy wanting every new console and game that came out.

"So, is she allowed to hide throughout the whole ship or just the rec room?" Miyu asked.

"I was smart enough to limit the game to this room. I thought it'd at least be fair, instead I've been searching for nearly an hour with no success."

"I figured that was the case. Do you need any help?"

"Yes please, I'd really appreciate it." Fay squealed as she checked under a couch.

"Alright, I'll take this side of the room."

Miyu headed over to the left side of the room and carefully checked under everything in sight. Knowing Vixy liked hiding under things she made sure to look under every furniture there was but found no evidence of her. After spending nearly thirty minutes looking with no success she was able to give up till she heard the sound of a mechanical snap, followed by a loud thud and a scream from Fay. Miyu spun around and gasped to see Fay lying on the floor with a bookshelf on top of her.

Miyu rushed to Fay's side. "Fay, what the heck happened?"

A pained groan escaped Fay's lips from her position under the bookcase. At first Miyu thought Fay was unconscious, till she saw her moving. She let out a sigh of relief seeing that her friend wasn't hurt, at least not in a way she could tell. Upon closer examination she noticed that the bookshelf was rigged to fall and Fay was just in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Miyu grabbed the bookshelf and lifted it off Fay, setting it back in place.

Miyu's ears perked up upon hearing a mechanical snap after she set the bookshelf back into place, followed by the sound of a trigger being pulled. She turned around just in time to see a large net flying towards her but not quick enough to dodge it. The net collided with Miyu, causing her to collapse to the floor, finding herself trapped.

"What the heck just happened?" Miyu screamed as she struggled to break free of the net.

It took Miyu a moment to calm down and access the situation and realize what happened. By her guess, somehow, the bookcase was a trap within a trap. By setting it back into place she must've tripped another trap that shot the net at her and effectively pinned her to the floor. The edges of the net had magnets, keeping it attached to the floor and making it hard for Miyu to free herself. At least the net seemed to be made of weak material that she hoped her claws could cut through.

"You got to try better than that chasers!" A child's voice called from the doorway.

Miyu and Fay looked in the direction of the doorway to see Vixy leaning against the doorframe with a big smile on her face. Before either of them could say anything Vixy turned waved, turned around, and walked out the door leaving them to their pain. Miyu growled under her breath as she used her claws to cut through the net and get free. She was angrier at herself for being caught in such a humiliating way.

"Since when did Vixy get this good at hide and seek?" Fay groaned as she stood up.

"I have no idea, a better question is how a five year old get so smart did."

Miyu and Fay both laughed for a moment before continuing their search for Vixy. Deep down though, Miyu couldn't help but be concerned about Vixy. If she was that smart and cunning as a little child then Miyu wondered what trouble or good she'll be capable of as an adult. She quickly pushed those thoughts aside to focus on finding Vixy, knowing Fara would be furious if they didn't find her.

* * *

Space Dynamics Headquarters, Corneria

 _What a day, board meeting after board meeting while my ex-husband is having fun on Sauria._ Fara thought to herself as she entered her office. _Maybe taking dad's offer to become the CEO was a horrible idea._

Fara mumbled as she threw her briefcase on the couch then sat down in her office chair. Spending the whole morning in meetings was starting to take effect on her, not even strong coffee was keeping her awake and attentive. She hated meetings, especially board meetings, trying to constantly pay attention was no easy task for the young vixen. But, she still went despite wanting to be anywhere else but there.

Even though it was nearly five years ago when her father asked her to be the CEO of Space Dynamics, the third largest cooperation in the Lylat System, making Fara the youngest CEO in recorded history, she wished she had turned him down. She felt like she was under qualified for the position, despite one of her two majors being finance and administration; engineering being her main major. Despite all that, she knew it was her eventual duty, being a Phoenix and graciously accepted it. However, Fara couldn't help but be jealous of Fox, living the life of a mercenary while she was stuck in an office job. It didn't take her long to hate sitting in an office all day when she knew her life was out in space test piloting the newest spacecraft or flying into a dogfight alongside Fox. To Fara the thrill of flying was better than just about anything; holding Vixy in arms and mating with Fox were the only things better. She knew the only thing keeping her behind a desk was Vixy, it was much safer there than test pilot where things could easily go wrong.

 _Might as well make the best of things while I'm here. This company can't run itself._ Fara thought as she began looking through her work for the day.

As Fara shifted through her paperwork she heard her computer notification buzzing. Quickly looking up, Fara saw that she was getting a video chat request from the Great Fox. She quickly readjusted her and him desk unbuttoning the top button of her blouse revealing ample cleavage, hoping that Fox was the one calling her with good news of contract. Once her desk was cleared she sat in front of the screen and accepted the request, only to be disappointed to see Slippy's face instead of Fox.

"Slippy, good to see you." Fara said, smiling as best she could.

"Good to see you too, I just wanted check in and inform you on the contract's progress."

"Oh, and why isn't Fox doing it?"

"He's still down on Sauria, looks like it's going to be a while."

"Alright, and how are things going?" Fara asked.

Pretty good, we've had little problems, though the mission's getting confusing. Plus we had an incident on the way to Sauria."

Fara crossed her arms under her medium size breasts, her slightly unbuttoned shirt revealing a little more than she liked, and glared at Slippy. "What happened out there?"

"Well, we were on our way to Sauria when we received a distress call from Miyu and Fay. Turns out they were ambushed by a Venom squadron and needed immediate assistance. So, long story short, being we weren't too far away, Fox ordered us to help them."

Fara kept a stern face but on the inside she was smiling. Of course Fox would go to assist two old friends, it's who he was. He's always been a "never leave a teammate behind" kind of guy and that was a small reason, out of several, why Fara fell in love with him.

"So, what happened when you arrived?" Fara asked.

"The Venomians fled as soon as they saw the Great Fox, it wasn't even a fight at that point. Good thing for Miyu and Fay as they were nearly overwhelmed by the time we arrived."

"That's good, did they suffer any damage?"

"Nothing their energy shields couldn't handle. Though if we had arrived a little later that would've been a completely different matter." Slippy answered.

"I'm glad to hear it, and it's a good thing the Venomians fled instead of attacking. I've seen the state of the Great Fox and your Arwings, your current condition is well below combat readiness."

"I know, we got lucky with our reputation, though I'm sure that Fox and Peppy could've handled things."

"I'm sure they could've." Fara said with a smirk. "So, is Vixy safe? How are Miyu and Fay handling her?"

"Uh, well . . . about as well as can be expected."

Fara leaned in closer and growled at the screen. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"From what Miyu told me, Vixy is being a little troublesome playing hide and seek with them."

"Let me guess, she dropped a bookcase on one of them."

"Yes, how did you know?" Slippy asked, a little shocked.

"That's her favorite trick, one that she picked up with pretty recently. Hopefully they weren't hurt."

"I think they're okay, no injuries but both of them are a little sore, and still trying to find Vixy."

"Good luck with that one, Vixy is the best at that game. I'm just glad she's fine." Fara said then turned serious. "How about the mission? Have you gotten anything from Fox?"

"Yes ma'am, Fox took the data sensors down just like you've told him too."

"Good, but what about the mission, can you fill me in on what's going on down there?"

"Well, uh . . . I'm not sure how to explain it." Slippy replied, rubbing the back of his head. "It's kind of confusing and hard to believe."

"Ok, can you at least try?"

"I guess, it has something to do with the Sharpclaw tribe and the Krazoa Spirits."

Fara looked at the screen confused for a moment, trying to digest what she just heard Slippy say. "Uh, what are you talking about? Our records show that the Sharpclaw tribe are a small, insignificant tribe and we have nothing on Krazoa Spirits."

"Not true, turns out the Sharpclaw are a major threat and have been attacking the other tribes. They've done severe damage to the other tribes and have been causing Fox nothing but problems."

"Really, are they attacking him?"

"Constantly, though so far Fox has managed to stay ahead of them and rescue the Earthwalker prince." Slippy replied.

"Earthwalker prince, what does that have to do with the contract?"

"Well, the Queen Earthwalker basically said she'd tell us what was going on if Fox rescued her son from the Sharpclaw. Fox succeeded in a pretty humorous fashion."

"Really, how so?" Fara asked intrigued.

"You'll have to watch the video Fox's headset recorded. Thankfully Fox is okay, so is the prince, and the Queen kept her world."

"Huh, a queen that actually keeps her word, that's unheard of. So, what did she say was going on?"

"Well, from my understanding, and I could be wrong, the Sharpclaw have disturbed the Krazoa Spirits, who are the some of entities keeping the planet together. Without them the planet falls apart, and the Sharpclaw are to blame. As to why they're doing it I don't know." Slippy explained. "Right now, Fox is trying to recover the Krazoa Spirits and return them back to the temple. According to the Queen Earthwalker that should stop the planet from breaking apart."

"Okay, that sounds like a BS storyline from a bad science fiction movie." Fara replied with a laugh. "Please tell me you got some proof that proves what you're telling me. What about data, have you gotten a lot we can use?"

"Oh yes, Fox has been recording everything since he left the Great Fox. And the data sensors he's left lying around have picked up more data than we ever dreamed. The hard part is collecting it all, our computers here are running out of storage to hold it all. It should prove to you what I said, at least I hope it does."

Fara sighed as she shifted and leaned back in her chair. "I figured that'd be a problem. Fortunately, Space Dynamics has the computer storage to hold an entire fleet's worth of data."

"Good, I was starting to get worried that I'd have to begin deleting stuff. From what I've observed of Fox's adventures we still have a long ways to go. I don't think he's even halfway done yet, so there's going to be a lot more data to send.

"Alright, that won't be a problem, just send me all the data you have, including videos and pictures. I'd like for my scientists to begin analyzing it right away. And tell Fox I wished him the best of luck."

"No problem, Fara, I'll send you the data immediately, take care." Slipping replied then hung up.

Fara didn't have to wait long for Slippy send the data over, the problem was the amount. She found herself looking at enough data, pictures, and videos for her to spend weeks combing through. Thankfully, Fara had a large team of scientists to look through and study it, all she had to do was send it to them. At least Slippy had taken the time to categorize everything so Fara knew what to do with it.

It didn't take her long to have the data sorted through and sent to the science team. The only thing she kept was the video from Fox's headset. Fara personally designed Fox's headset shortly before the Lylat Wars started, with a direct video feed connected to her computer so she could view his progress and effectiveness. It seemed like a good idea at the time for her to keep an eye on Fox, even after their divorce, mostly for their daughter's sake. Fara decided to view the video of Fox's time on Sauria herself, she was curious how he was doing and wanted to see how well the contract was going.

Fara laid back in her chair as she set the video feed to play on her computer. _Might as well see how the fluff ball's doing, I wonder how much trouble he's gotten into._

Fara sat back and watched intently as the video progressed through Fox's adventure. More than a few comments caused her to laugh, particularly the end of the chase after Prince Tricky. After a few hours into the video, Fara come to a scene of Fox climbing on top of the Krazoa Palace, only to pause the video when she saw Fox staring at a scantily clad blue vixen stuck in a crystal.

 _What the hell, is Fox doing making googily eyes at some blue vixen playing damsel in distress? He'd better not be doing what I think he is._

Fara shook her head as she realized how jealous she just sounded over a vixen she had just seen in a video. Looking back at the video she couldn't help but laugh watching Fox making googily eyes at the blue vixen stuck in a crystal. If anything, she found it humorous that Fox was doing such a thing in the first place, even if it did make her jealous. It was only natural for Fara to feel a little jealous of the unknown vixen, even more so that she still had love in her heart for Fox. She knew Fox was easily distracted by beautiful women, not like most men but enough to potentially compromise the mission, and the vixen in the video appeared to be insanely gorgeous. Fara just hoped that Fox was thinking clear enough to complete the contract, not be distracted by an exotic looking vixen.

 _It's probably nothing but it might a good idea to keep a personal eye on the whole Saurian situation, specifically Fox and this blue vixen._

To be continued.

* * *

Fox has met Krystal and has falling in love with her at first sight, or is it lust? Can he concentrate enough to save Sauria, and how will Fara respond when she finds out?

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty y'all.


	8. Suspicions and Release

Here we are again, thank you for staying with the story, even though it really just started. 

Just in case it hasn't been clear already, Star Fox Adventures is only a starting point for this story. So, hold on a little while longer and you'll see what the story can be. And in case you've forgotten, this story is based on a video game idea I had by the same name.

This chapter is heavy on the scenes from Star Fox Adventures; two scenes from the game in this chapter. I just hope I did that right.

After this chapter there is only one more involving scenes from Star Fox Adventures. So that means the REAL story will begin.

Hope you enjoy the chapter. 

* * *

Chapter 7: Suspicions and Release

Sauria, Krazoa Shrine

Fox groaned loudly as he entered Krazoa Shrine tired, beaten, and sore from the long adventure he had getting there. Seeing the chamber of the last challenge brought a big smile to his face as he stepped forward. To him it felt like he'd been on Sauria for weeks when really it'd had been little more than a day. It was hard to say since Fox had been up for over twenty four hours and had been knocked out more than once. He'd been moving nonstop since he arrived on the planet, solving all their war problems and collecting then returning the Spellstones and the Krazoa Spirits. To him it felt like he'd been doing everything except what he'd been hired to do. At least the Earthwalkers were happy and safe, and he was finally alone.

He was beyond happy to be at the last Krazoa Shrine, to him it meant the contract was close to being completed and he wasn't too far away from being paid. There was also the thought of that attractive blue vixen finally being free. Just getting the chance to speak to her once she was released had been a big motivation for him. Hopefully she'd be grateful to him, Fox had rescued more than his share of people that weren't grateful.

Fox stopped when he looked around to find the room completely empty. Usually there was Krazoa Spirit or someone else in the chamber to tell him what to do, but that time there was nothing. Even the staff that could sense the spirits wasn't picking up anything. The only thing in the room was a raised part of the floor that gave Fox the assumption he'd had to fight something, but there was no one to fight.

 _What the heck is going on here?_ Fox thought as he looked around the room. _Where's the test, the shrine, anything that supposed to be here?_

Fox climbed onto the platform in the center of the room guessing something would happen but nothing did. He stood in the middle of the platform thinking what could've gone wrong. After nearly a minute Fox began thinking that someone beat him too the last Krazoa Spirit, the thought freaked him out.

"I have been waiting for you, Fox McCloud." General Scale's voice echoed throughout the room but Fox saw no sign of him, causing him to freeze.

Fox stopped in his place, clutching the staff, ready for a fight. He looked around seeing no one around him but knew that he was not alone. It wasn't till Fox looked up that he saw General Scales falling down towards him with his sword raised over his head for a death blow. Fox jumped back just in time to avoid taking a sword through his skull and rolled back to a fighting stand with the staff drawn as his attacker recovered.

"You may have returned the Spellstones, but the war is not over yet. Now, you must face me." General Scales growled at Fox.

 _Man this moron is full of himself._ Fox thought as he readied his stance for the fight.

General Scales rushed at Fox in a blind rage making it easy for him to jump out of the way. He quickly recovered and readied himself for another charge only for his opponent to come at him swinging powerful and quick attacks, causing him to quickly switch tactics. Fox wasn't expecting to face a competent opponent after everything he had experienced against General Scales but there he was, fighting a talented warrior. The fight quickly became a fight for survival as Fox had to do his best just to avoid getting ran over by his opponent. General Scales was incredibly strong and certainly a well-trained, experienced warrior, as Fox was quickly finding out. His attacks were powerful, any of them would be certain death if they connected, making avoiding them Fox's top priority. However, his speed and precision were lacking enough for Fox to take advantage of and avoid his blows. He was able to dodge his most of his attacks easily, blocking those he couldn't. Though his attacks came frequently and with such ferocity that Fox saw little opportunity to launch an attack of his own, leaving him to primarily defend till he could detect an opening and counter.

After what felt like an eternity Fox saw an opening in General Scales' movements and took it. He spun the staff as his opponent launched another attack, creating a small opening and activated the fire blast ability and fired. The blast flew past General Scales' guard and scorched his face causing him to scream in pain as he held his face and step back. Fox could smell the burning flesh and knew it was a bad burn, at least a second degree burn but most likely a third degree.

"You'll pay for that you little vermin." General Scales growled as he held his burnt face.

General Scales roared and rushed at Fox with a new found fury, bringing down all of his anger into his blows. Fox found himself fighting against a furiously powerful opponent delivering blows with such power that he thought the staff's shaft would shatter if it took too many. He switched to dodge and counter instead of blocking but even that seemed to do little against the dinosaur's attacks.

Fox tried to block a downward cut only for the strength of General Scale's sword to knock his staff down, leaving him open for attack. Before Fox could recover he saw another attack coming his way towards his head. He jumped back but not quick enough to avoid the blade connecting with his right arm and cutting deep. Fox held back a scream as General Scales' blade cut through his arm. He stepped back clutching his arm as his opponent kept coming at him, not giving him time to recover and properly defend. Fox didn't even have the time to look at the wound before he found himself having to dodge more attacks. His only relief was that General Scales was starting to tire and his blows becoming slower, but he was quickly losing steam too. It was only a matter of time before one of them tired out and the other finished him, Fox just had to hope his strength held up.

"STOP!" A loud voice shouted causing the chamber to shake. "Scales, you are no longer any use to me."

General Scales suddenly froze on the spot upon hearing the voice. Fox gripped the staff as he stood up holding his injured arm. He was just as shocked as General Scales from the suddenness of the loud voice that seemed to come from nowhere. Both of them looked around cautiously, looking for the owner of the voice but saw nothing.

"Who are you? I demand you show yourself." General Scales shouted.

Fox wondered the same thing but didn't say a word. He wasn't about to let his guard down with a monster like General Scales standing near him. Despite his fear, Fox was just as curious as his reptile opponent.

"I am the one you brought to Krazoa Palace. The Earthwalkers could see me but you could not." The voice said.

". . . I . . . don't understand."

"No, I didn't think you would. You're desire for power has overwhelmed you and blinded you to the truth inside."

 _Ouch, that has to hurt._ Fox thought as he fought back a laugh, but kept his guard up.

Fox looked behind General Scales at the portal to see three Sharpclaw soldiers appear. He tightened his grip on the staff as they walked up to General Scales and stood close behind him. General Scales barely acknowledges them beyond looking at them; apparently he was more focused on the new voice than why his soldiers were there. Fox on the other than focused on give soldiers instead, the fight quickly became one sided with their presence. He was just glad they were just standing there and not attacking.

"Now, give Fox what he's looking for. Give him the final Krazoa Spirit." The voice demanded.

Fox fought back a gasp at the voices words. After everything he'd been through Fox found it hard to believe that General Scales would have the last Krazoa Spirit. He watched cautiously, heavily doubting that General Scales would just give him what he needed, such an act would go against his controlling/alpha behavior. Agreeing to do it after being commanded by an unknown voice seemed even less likely.

"You will regret this." General Scales growled at Fox than roared.

Fox looked at General Scales confused at first till he doubled over in what seemed to be pain. He recognized what was happening immediately and his suspicions were confirmed when a Krazoa Spirit shot of the dinosaur's body. A moment later General Scales collapsed on the ground unconscious, apparently removing the spirit had a worse effect on him than it did on Fox.

"It was in him all this time?" Fox exclaimed as the Krazoa flew towards him and the Sharpclaw soldiers gathered around the unconscious General Scales. "But that voice . . . I recognize it from somewhere."

Fox pushed the thoughts aside as the Krazoa Spirit flew towards him. He readied himself as the spirit flew into his body, thankfully he'd gotten used to it so he barely felt a thing. A sense of pride and relief came over Fox as he realized the contract was nearly finished.

 _Finally, after all the pain and annoyance I have the last spirit. There'd better not be anything else after this._ Fox thought as he stood up.

Fox looked up to see the Sharpclaw soldiers dragging the unconscious General Scales towards the portal, at least trying to. Their leader was so much larger than them that they were having trouble dragging him away. Fox found it funny and a little scary as well; he didn't like the thought of General Scales getting away, no telling what kind of chaos he'd cause once he came to. Fortunately, he knew that after everything he'd done the Sharpclaws no longer had the power to do any real damage, the other tribes should be able to beat them.

 _I wonder what's going to happen to that psychopath. I guess I should be worried more about the voice._ Fox thought as he headed towards the exit. _I'll worry about that later; I got to get the last spirit to that woman._

* * *

Great Fox Bridge

Miyu entered the bridge with Vixy following close behind her to see Peppy, Slippy, and Fay gathered around the data console. "Hey guys, what's going on?"

None of them raise their head or even acknowledge Miyu and Vixy as they enter the bridge. Miyu looked at them, growling softly, as she approached them slowly. She could tell they were deeply engrossed in what they were studying, though she couldn't tell what it was. From the looks on their faces they were worried about something and it started to concern Miyu.

Miyu stopped just behind Fay and blurted out loudly. "So, how is Fox doing down there?"

Peppy, Fay, and Slippy jumped at the sound of Miyu's voice. Slippy screamed the loudest causing Miyu and Vixy to cover their ears. Vixy laughed watching them squirm and gather their footing.

"Miyu, sorry, we didn't hear you coming." Fay said.

"I know, none of you answered me when we entered."

"Oh, sorry about that." Peppy replied. "We've been going over the data."

"I can see that, you three must've found something interesting."

"Yes, something doesn't add up and it's bothering me."

Miyu tilted her head in confusion. "What's the problem, have you observed something bad on the surface?"

"Hard to say, the data Fox recorded on his last visit to the Krazoa Palace brought up something unusual." Slippy answered

"You mean besides him staring at a scantily clad, voluptuous vixen." Miyu said sarcastically.

"Very funny." Fay responded. "You see, we detected a very high energy reading as Fox left the Palace. Upon closer examination, we're certain it's biological."

"And, what is that supposed to mean?"

"Basically, that the thing producing the energy is a living being, not mechanical or natural."

"Okay and just how is that possible?" Miyu asked, looking as confused as Vixy.

"We don't know, the data Fox sent at the time didn't provide any clues. And the being only appeared on the recording for a few seconds, not long enough to give us a clear picture."

"That is till Fox put the last Spell stone in place." Peppy added. "That's when we discovered a strange connection."

Miyu held up her hand, signaling Peppy to stop talking. "Before you continue, please consider that I am not a scientist/mechanic by any stretch. Try to explain this as simply as you can."

Miyu knew it'd be a waste of time for Peppy, Slippy, and Fay to try to explain the technical stuff the data recorded to her, she probably wouldn't understand it anyway. She also didn't want to waste time in case things really were as bad as they were suggesting. To Miyu it sounded like every second counted and going for a long explanation would not be beneficial to them.

"Alright, I'll give it a go." Slippy said, clearing his throat and pausing a moment before speaking . "Try to think of it as a solar panel. The Krazoa Spirits are the beams of light floating around aimlessly while the vixen in the crystal is the solar panel. The vixen and crystal absorbs the Krazoa Spirits and the power is propelled through to the objects, or in this case the being we detected who uses that power."

Miyu remained silent for a few moments, her mind trying to comprehend what Slippy had just explained to her. "So basically what you're saying is that whatever or whoever that's floating around down there is using the vixen to absorb the Krazoa Spirits so they can power up?"

"Pretty much, and with the amount of energy we've detected in the Spirits the power will be significant." Slippy answered.

"If what you're saying is true than that means Fox is about to unleash something horrible onto the Lylat System once he returns the last Krazoa Spirit?"

Peppy reluctant nodded. "From the data we've recovered it certainly looks that way."

Miyu looked down at the ground, pondering their situation. If what Peppy confirmed was true than Fox was about to do something that could be horrible for the Lylat System. However, Miyu would prefer to know more about whatever they were possibly releasing. For all they knew it could be a force of good that brought untold peace and prosperity to the entire system.

"Do we know what or who it is?" Miyu asked.

"No, all we know is that it's big and there's a lot of power behind it. Heck, it could be good for all we know." Peppy replied.

"I doubt it." Fay exclaimed, getting everyone's attention. "If whatever this thing is was good I'd doubt it'd be using secrecy and trickery like this. Psychology speaking, I don't think this thing is good."

Miyu looked around the room from Fay to Slippy. What information they had seemed dwarfed by uncertainty by what could be released. Having Fox running around on Sauria was certainly the last thing they needed, particularly since he was on the way to the Krazoa Palace with the last Krazoa Spirit. He needed to know what they did before he potentially released what Peppy, Slippy, and Fay feared to be a great evil.

"We need to tell Fox what is going on." Miyu said then turned to Slippy. "Can you contact Fox and tell him?"

"No, I've been trying for nearly five minutes to contact Fox but I can't reach him. For some reason being near the Krazoa Palace is keeping me from reaching him."

"But, Peppy was able to contact Fox earlier and he was standing on top of the Krazoa Palace. Why can't he contact him now?"

"I don't know, almost immediately after Fox put the last Spell stone into place a ten mile black zone around the Krazoa Palace appeared. No signal can penetrate it, Fox is on completely on his own." Slippy explained.

Miyu looked around the bridge worriedly. With Fox walking blindly into a possible trap, or potentially releasing something horrible, she couldn't help but be scared. Contacting Fox was a top priority and Miyu saw only one way to reach him.

Miyu turned to Fay and shouted. "Look after Vixy, I'm going down to warn Fox."

"No problem, as long as she doesn't drop a bookshelf on me again."

"I won't be gone long enough for that." Miyu replied then turned to Slippy. "Contact Fara first than General Pepper, tell them what's going on."

"Yes ma'am." Slippy shouted then immediately went to work.

Peppy stepped up behind Miyu. "I'm coming with you, if things are as bad as we think you'll need my help."

"No Peppy, you stay and help Rob prepare in case things go to crap. I'm just heading down to warn Fox, that's all."

"Alright, just hurry before Fox does something stupid."

"That leaves me basically no time at all." Miyu replied, getting a laugh from Peppy.

Miyu took off running out of the bridge towards the hangar, leaving Vixy with Fay. She sprinted as fast as she could through the twisting hallways at full speed, causing the doorways to look like blurs as she ran past then. It took Miyu hardly twenty seconds to make it to the hangar, and she didn't slow down as she climbed into her fighter. She switched her fighter on as quickly as possible and didn't wait for the hangar door to fully open before she throttled the engine and shot out into space.

 _Please Fox, have some common sense, don't be you're normal, stupid self so I can have time to get there._

* * *

Krazoa Palace

 _Uh, finally, this mission is coming to a close._ Fox thought as he flew his Arwing over the Krazoa Palace. _Hopefully that vixen will be grateful for all of this._

Fox circled his Arwing around the top looking for a landing spot till he spotted an area just large enough to safely land. He managed to land on a small open area at the edge of the platform holding the crystal. It surprised him that he was able to find a spot big enough, upon approaching the palace Fox thought he'd have to land near the bottom entrance and make his way back up again; he was very happy that wasn't the case. After his fight with General Scales and hearing that voice he was becoming very suspicious, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was a trap. But, Fox knew that if he was going to save Sauria, and the vixen, he didn't really have much of a choice.

Fox checked his right arm quickly before stepping out of the cockpit. The wound had stopped bleeding and most of the pain had gone away, though he knew it was still a bad cut. Fox was certain he'd have to get stitches when he got back to the Great Fox but that would have to wait, he had more important matters to deal with first. Looking at his arm though made him think about everything that'd happened since he arrived on Sauria and how it was all coming to an end. Approaching the crystal he couldn't help but be suspicious that something else was needed to be done, seemed to be a frequent occurrence on the contract. Fox was just glad it was ending and soon he'd be able to rest and get paid; and hopefully speak with the vixen inside the crystal.

 _Still just as beautiful as when I first saw you._ Fox thought as he approached the crystal. _I really hope she can't hear me._

Fox gave the vixen one last glance before heading over to the shrine. He was used to the routine after doing it so many times, and had gotten used to the pain of the Krazoa Spirit coming out of him. Within moments, Fox had the Krazoa Spirit out of him and joined up with the other. He stood up smiling, feeling satisfied that he had done his part, only to become disappointed when nothing started happening.

 _Ok, was there something else I was supposed to do? I got all four SpellStones back in place and returned all six of the Krazoa Spirits to their places, what more do I need to do?_

Suddenly, the entire Krazoa Palace started to violently shake, nearly throwing Fox off balance. He managed to grab onto the railing and steady himself before looking up at the vixen. The Krazoa Spirits were flying wildly around her and glowing brightly, as was the crystal.

"What's going on, you said this would save her?" Fox screamed, realizing there was no one else around.

Fox could only watch as the Krazoa Spirits flew around the vixen. With each passing moment the platform seemed to shake more violently. He spotted the suspension rigging holding the crystal starting to crack, making him concerned the crystal shake.

"NO!" Fox screamed as he ran towards the platform.

One by one the Krazoa flew into the vixen, each one causing her to shake as they enter her through the crystal. Each time one past through her she squirmed violently, causing Fox's heart to ache each they've all flown through her they gather together in a circle then fly towards the far end of the platform. Fox followed them as they flew right towards the corner where there stood the same Krazoa from earlier. Seeing the Krazoa caused him to jump back out of shock, and made him a little suspicious.

 _When the heck did that guy get here?"_ Fox thought as the platform continued to shake.

Fox turned around to see the platform holding the crystal up. From what he could see the shakes were starting to wake the vixen up, he noticed her moving slightly inside the crystal. He noticed the vibrations were starting to crack the crystal and destroy the platform, putting the vixen in grave danger.

"Wake up, wake up." Fox screamed at the vixen.

Fox ran towards the crystal to see the vixen struggling to break free. Suddenly, the platform above exploded, shattering the crystal with it. The vixen appeared to be unharmed but with nothing beneath her but an opening to the fan chamber she plummeted down towards the ground. She screamed as she fell, seeming to know death was certain.

At the last second, Fox unsheathed his staff and extended it as the vixen fell through the hole to the fan chambers. He swung the staff towards the vixen that reached out and grabbed the end with both hands. He steadied himself as her velocity almost threw him off balance and dragged him with her to certain death.

"Don't worry, I got you." Fox shouted over the nose.

Fox could barely see the vixen from his position but he knew she was holding on for dear life. He could only see her hands gripping the shaft but that was enough for him to let out a sigh of relief. For a second Fox thought he was going to lose the vixen.

 _Thank goodness she's light._ Fox thought as he lifted the vixen as quickly as he could.

Fox pulled the vixen back onto the platform quickly, she was able to climb back on once she got a grip on the side. As soon as she stood up their eyes met and both froze on the spot. Fox was more than in awe of the vixen standing before him, the connection between them was strong, even though it was the first time their eyes have made contact. He got lost in her stare and for a moment he could almost hear the saxophones playing again. The vixen stared back with the same look, neither of them making a move.

A sudden shake ended the moment between the two foxes with both turning to face the Krazoa. Fox's jaw dropped as right before his eyes the head of the Krazoa popped off the body and started flying above them. He was so shocked he almost dropped the staff.

"I am reborn! The mighty Krazoa God!" The Krazoa shouted, laughing manically. "Kneel, all those that stand before me!"

Fox raised the staff and took a defensive stance as the Krazoa head floated above them. He was trying to comprehend what had happened while the vixen growled loudly. From her actions she seemed to not only understand what was going on but had a grudge against him.

"We will never kneel you." The woman shouted back, surprising Fox, then suddenly grabbed the staff from his hands. "Give me that."

"Hey? W . . . wait . . ." Fox stuttered, looking at the vixen stunned that she'd just take the staff like that without saying thank you. "Well, thanks for nothing! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be standing here at all."

The vixen looked at Fox for a second with a little sympathy, as far as he could tell. But it didn't last long as she quickly seemed to switch into an aggressive/warrior mindset, clutching her staff tightly. To Fox, it looked like the vixen had been reunited with an old friend.

"My staff, you're back." The vixen growled with a newfound confidence.

The vixen raised her staff and used the fire blaster ability to launch a volley of blasts at the Krazoa head. Though she seemed to be determined to stop him the blasts were too weak to have any real effect, they just splashed against him causing no real damage. That didn't seem to stop the vixen that seemed determined to bring him dish no matter the cost. Fox couldn't help but find that fiery spirit sexy as hell, he did have a thing for spicy women.

Fox's attention from the vixen was cut short when he noticed what looked like a portal gate home opening above them and saw the Krazoa head moving towards it. It didn't take him a second to realize how bad it'd be if the Krazoa got through, no telling what kind of damage he'd cause or what he'd do. Judging by what he said earlier about everyone kneeling to him, Fox knew it wasn't good.

 _I got to stop him before he gets too far._ Fox thought as he turned and ran for his Arwing.

Fox sprinted down the ramp as fast as he could and jumped into his Arwing. He wasted no time starting it up and taking off. By the time he had lifted off and retracted his landing gear the Krazoa head had entered the portal and disappeared. Fox throttled his Arwing as fast as he could towards the portal as it started to close not wanting to let the target get away.

 _That vixen seemed to know who that was, maybe that's why she was so indifferent to me._ Fox thought as the portal drew close. _Guess I'll have to find her later to find out._

To be continued.

* * *

Andross, the villain that caused so much death and destruction throughout the entire Lylat System, has been revealed to not only be alive but to have masterminded the entire Saurian incident. He has regained his power and is about to escape, can Fox stop him in time or will he get away and cause u fathomable damage? Will Miyu get there in time to help? At least Fox was able to defeat General Scales and save Krystal, even though she didn't appear to be very thankful for it.

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	9. Return of an old enemy

Here we go, the next chapter of Star Fox: Annihilation, man I'm loving how quickly this story is progressing. I still got a fire and passion for this story, I just hope it lasts.

An important note before beginning: this is the last chapter featuring scenes from Star Fox Adventures. It's basically the ending to the game with my own twist on it. There are additional scenes but their short and leave an indication to where the story could possibly be heading.

Another important note: this is not the end to the story, even though it may seem like it is with how the chapter ends. There is still ALOT left, so please stay tuned after this chapter. 

Sorry for the length of time it took me to get this chapter uploaded and the length of it as well. There was a lot I wanted to cover in this chapter while setting up the real story. It seems to me that it really had the potential to be two chapters but I didn't want to do that. So, sorry in advance.

One last thing, this chapter does introduce a new character, well two, and it does have a bit with Zathora. May get a little confusing with Zathora but it always is when she gets involved.

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 8: Return of an old enemy

Macbeth

Diana Sharpscale sighed as she sat down and looked from her upstairs balcony safe house to see the sun setting over the Macbeth capital. The view was hardly pleasing; slums darted the outskirts of the city with dozens of manufacturing plants positioned around the slums where the people living there worked. In the middle of the city stood the business district, where all the large corporate offices stood, with not a slum anywhere nearby. At least the sun was starting to set, giving the city a beautiful glow added by the smoke coming from factories, that slightly hid the ugliness of the city to anyone that really didn't know the city. Having grown up on Macbeth, not by her family's choice, Diana was well aware that the city, in fact the entire planet, was pretty much one giant manufacturing plant. It was what Macbeth was used for, a desolate planet where businesses could do almost anything they wanted. With the planet already in horrible condition many companies didn't see the harm in working however they could. Just seeing it angered Diana slightly, reminding her of what Andross did to her home world shortly before her clan was forced off to Macbeth, only to see nearly the same thing happening again.

 _How could such an old city be such a pile of garbage?_

As if on que, Diana looked off into the distance and could scarcely make out the outline of the Venom embassy. The large and heavily building was situated in the middle of the city's poor district; she guessed it was to show their power, what little there actually was. The embassy was a work of modern architecture, standing taller than any other building in the area, almost as tall as the buildings in the business district. To Diana, the embassy resembled an old palace but with updated building styles and a vibrant color scheme to make it stand out. She knew that the Venomians had built it that way to show the rest of Lylat that despite the war they were not able to support themselves but also thrive. The frequent parties that were held there were to show everyone that they wanted peace not war and so far nearly everyone believed them. However, Diana and her partner were two of a very few people that knew the truth of what really went on there. She was well aware of the illegal activities that took place as well as illegal research that the embassy was covering up. The problem was that as the legitimate embassy of Venom there was nothing legally that could be done about it. It fell of the shoulders of Diana and her partner to do something about it.

 _Who would've thought such a beautiful sight could be ruined by something so evil._ Diana thought as she stood up.

Diana took in one last look before stepping away from the window. It was becoming too dark to see, though the outline of embassy was still visible. She also didn't want the view to depress and infuriate her any more than she always was that anger had to be saved for later. With all the anger that had built up in her over the years it wasn't a good idea to keep looking at what was the cause of it. Diana also needed the rest anyway; it'd been awhile since she had gotten a good night's sleep.

Diana mumbled to herself as she sat down in the chair in front of the mirror. She looked up and took a long stare at the creature starring back at her. Being modest with herself, Diana had to admit she was kind of pretty, despite being a large Komodo Dragon. She stood almost 6'5" even without shoes and last time she checked weighed nearly two hundred and fifty pounds, all of it muscle. Thick, grayish black scales covered her entire body, making her skin almost qualify as armor. She hated to admit it but she was well aware that she was one beautiful, powerful warrior. Diana did take into consideration the fact that she was just wearing black combat pants and a black bra that a nearly the same shade as her skin, giving the impression show was topless from a distance. Diana was well aware that most men would prefer she wasn't, that was the curse of having massive breasts, which was common for nearly all reptilian species, particularly large breeds like hers and alligators. Giving her species height and weight having large breasts, usually in the EE range, was quite common, and Diana was no exception, being 12 EE last time she had checked. Her ass was pretty well built too; at least that's what perverts often yelled when she walked past. That got old a long time ago and often infuriated her, no matter how much she tried to ignore it. It did help that most males didn't want to mate with Diana because she was a Komodo Dragon, at least the mammal males, the reptilian males were a different story, and her size played a role as well since most men didn't want a woman taller than they were.

 _Get those thoughts out of your head; Diana_ Diana shook her head, clearing her mind. _Don't think about men when those Venom scumbags are running around._

Diana stood up and made her way to the bed, sitting on the edge deep in thought. She often got aggressive thoughts like that, reminding her of the purpose that drove her. It was a good reminder whenever she got to thinking about how men treated her and the chance of finding her a real mate. She always managed to push it aside and get back to focusing on her task whenever she was distracted.

 _Maybe once this is over I'll have time to find a real mate, one that'll treat me as an equal. Oh well, I'll cross that bridge when it comes, if it ever does._

The sound of footsteps coming up the hall got Diana's attention, causing her to draw her sidearm. She stood up and jumped to a corner behind a desk for cover and aimed at the doorway. The door seemed to open in slow motion as she kept her sights trained on the figure entering. She waited till the figure was inside, not firing till she was certain of her target. In walked a large male lizard, even bigger than Diana with similar color schemes as her. Though it was dark she could make the heavy Sharpscale style armor he wore, large assault blaster on his back, short shotgun strapped to his right hip, and a long, curve blade strapped to his left hip. Even from where Diana was kneeling she could see that the lizard was loaded for combat, though the burlap bag he carried and the carefree attitude he entered the room in told her otherwise. The strong smell of food coming from the bag put her at ease slightly.

"Torygg, took you long enough brother." Diana called from her hiding spot as she holsters her sidearm.

Torygg turned around casually, setting the bag of food in the table as Diana stood up. "You try getting food with dozens of Venom security forces roaming the area. I had to sneak around the back allies to avoid being seeing."

"Really, they're still looking for us?"

"What do you expect, we blew up their safe house and you shot one of their top commanders in the head, in front of their soldiers. Of course they're still going to be looking for us."

Diana stepped out from the corner and made her way to the table, pretending to ignore Torygg's response. Her stomach growled louder with each step towards the food, it'd been nearly twenty four hours since she'd last eaten. She hardly noticed Torygg covering his eyes when he saw that she was topless except for a bra, she chose to ignore him.

"Hm, fried shrimp, my favorite, you must've risked a lot to get this." Diana said as she opened the bag of food. "I'll be sure to pay you back for this."

"That's great, now do you mind putting a shirt on, a man shouldn't see his little sister topless."

"Fine, give me a moment."

Diana headed back to her bed and put on the black tank top lying on the sheets. She put it on, having to adjust her breasts a little to get comfortable, it felt awkward having the tight piece of fabric squeezing her breasts tight, as if a bra wasn't bad enough, but she put up with it. Once on she made her way back to the bag of food and chowed down without saying a word to Torygg. Neither of them said a word as they ate, there wasn't anything to say and they were too hungry to speak to each other. It wasn't till they were done that they finally spoke.

"So, did you see anything new, sis?" Torygg asked as he tossed away the empty bag.

"Nothing new, I can't really see what's going on from our position, too many buildings in the way. All I can really see is the vehicle depot and there's lots of traffic going through lately."

"Because of us, they're putting a lot of effort into finding us."

"Possibly, though I think they're getting ready for a major raid. From the radio signals I've been able to pick up I believe that the local Cornerian garrison is about to launch an attack on one of the Venomians biggest weapons stashes." Diana explained.

"Huh, I'm surprised they were able to find even one of the Venomians dozens of safe houses, weapons stashes, or research facilities."

"So am I, Corneria doesn't particularly have the reputation to show that they have a competent spy agency, let alone the balls to act on it. They usually hire mercenaries to do the work for them.

"So am I, hopefully that makes things easier for us, and takes away the heat we've caused." Torygg stated.

"Same here, but I don't know about but I hate the thought of someone else taking out the Venomians. Feels like they're stealing the fun away from us."

I agree, besides, I'm getting bored just sitting here. Only problem I have is that it's taking us forever to get our payback. When do you think we'll be able to accomplish that?"

Diana stood up and walked to the balcony, situating a hateful gaze on the Venom embassy. "Soon brother . . . soon we will make them pay for what they did to our family."

* * *

Saurian Space

Fox exited the portal to find himself in space just outside of Sauria. Up ahead he was barely able to spot the Krazoa quickly moving away and pushed forward on the throttle, accelerating his Arwing to catch up. If what Fox suspected was true then he knew he'd have to catch up and stop the Krazoa as quickly as possible, no telling what it was capable of or the damage it could do. At the back of his mind was the concern of the possibility that he might not be able to bring down Krazoa alone. With the state of his Arwing he knew that a full on dogfight with a Krazoa was a poor choice but not one that he had many options in. Without anyone around to help him there was little choice than for him to go head on against a newborn Krazoa.

 _Looks like this could be a one way trip. My only regret is that I should've worked more with Fara for Vixy. Though getting to actually talk to that blue vixen wouldn't have been bad either._ Fox thought as he pushed his Arwing as fast as it could go. _What am I thinking, I'm Fox McCloud, if anyone can stop this thing alone it's me. I got too many people depending on me to fail. I cannot fail, I must bring this Krazoa down._

Suddenly, Fox's radar started beeping, indicating something or someone was fast approaching. From what his radar detected whoever it was approaching was coming from his right and incoming quickly. He turned his head. In the direction of the incoming object to see a familiar fighter fast approaching. Before long Fox recognized it as a Cornerian fighter and soon he realized who it was and it shocked him as she approached him.

"Miyu, what are you doing here?" Fox shouted as Miyu flew towards him.

"Hoping you wouldn't do something stupid like release whatever that thing is." Miyu shouted back as she positioned her fighter beside Fox. "Peppy, Slippy, and Fay detected something unusual in the data and long story short I decided to head on down to warn you. I see now that I was too late."

"No duh captain obvious, I immediately realized that. I'm just flying here so I can give it a tour of Lylat." Fox replied back in a sarcastic voice. "If you knew what was going on why didn't any of you radio me?"

"Because there was something blocking any radio signal from getting through, wasn't possible for us to reach you. So, I flew down to warn you, but I see now I was too late. At least now we know what was about to be released, though seeing it with my own eyes I'm still not sure what it is."

Fox shrugged his shoulders as he focused his attention on the Krazoa up ahead, noticing it was slowing down. He had more than a few questions he wanted to ask Miyu, mostly on the data they recovered and Vixy, but pushed those aside. At the speed they were going they'd be on top of the Krazoa in a few moments, leaving Fox time for very few questions.

"It's some kind of Krazoa that was using the Krazoa Spirits and a vixen to recharge itself and gain power. Though why, I have no idea, all I do know is that it IS evil."

"I know about the vixen stuck in the crystal Fox, everyone on board does." Miyu shouted back. "If this thing is really evil as you say than we need to stop it."

"There's no doubt it is, the thing shouted that all will bow to it before it took."

"Then I guess we have no choice but to stop it, the only question is how."

"There's always a way, we just need to figure it out." Fox shouted and looked at Miy as she flew besides him. "So, you want it join me in stopping this thing?"

"Of course, it'll be just like old times. Just save some of the action for me."

Fox laughed as he throttled his Arwing towards the Krazoa head with Miyu following close behind him. With Miyu by his side Fox felt much better, he had suspicions that his target would be a major threat and the current state of his Arwing might not be enough to bring it down. Meanwhile Miyu's hell and her fighter being in much better shape, he was all but certain together they'd destroy it. They quickly approached in a duo formation, both with their fingers on the trigger, waiting for the right moment to fire. Both kept their fingers on the trigger as they approached, ready for anything, at least that's what Fox thought. It wasn't till they got close that the Krazoa turned around and they saw what it really was. Starring back at him was a very familiar, giant, ape-like head with giant armless hands. Fox recognized the head immediately as the villain he faced and destroy eight years ago, or so he thought till that moment.

"I've been looking forward to this day, to see you again . . . Fox McCloud."

"Fox's jaw dropped at the sight before him. "ANDROSS!"

Fox found his body shaking from fear and shock, he guessed Miy was experiencing the same thing. Memories of their battle came back as he tried to comprehend how Andross could still alive after he destroyed him eight years ago. Remembering how their battle ended, with Andross' brain blowing up, he couldn't imagine how it was even possible that the evil ape was floating there before him. It didn't help that Andross looked more powerful than ever, thanks to the Krazoa Spirits. The moment passéd quickly as rage filled his body, the memories of his dead parents flooded his mind as he watched Andross float menacingly in front of him.

"And now, to destroy the Lylat System." Andross shouted then turned around and flew away from Fox and Miyu.

Any scared and confused feeling Fox had left instantly fled as he watched Andross get away. He was well aware that if Andross got away he'd cause damage to the Lylat System equal to if not greater than the Lylat Wars. Stopping him was an immediate priority, even though Fox knew that with his Arwing in the current state it's end succeeding was not likely, at least he had Miyu beside him

"We've got to stop him." Fox called to Miyu, expecting her to still be stunned.

"Obviously, we need to bring this monkey down once and for all." Miyu shouted back immediately with such confidence that any doubt in Fox was erased.

Fox and Miyu acerbated towards Andross who swung wildly at them as got within range of his fists. Andross went into a wild fury, striking at Fox and Miyu who expertly but still barely avoided his blows. They fired at him whenever they could and being a giant head hitting him was an easy feat. It quickly became obvious to Fox that just blasting him wasn't going to do a thing, they could probably blast him all day and cause little to no damage and sooner or later he was going to get a successful hit on them, it was just a matter of time till one of his hands struck one of them and possibly destroyed them.

"Got any ideas on how to bring him down?" Miyu asked.

"If I had to guess I'd say concentrate fire on his eyes, I think those are his weak spots."

Fox and Miyu dodged another wild swing and as Andross recovered they took the opportunity to fire precise shots at his eyes. Their only time to attack accurately was during the recovery time of Andross' swings, which was only a second or two at best. But, even then their attacks seemed to do little beyond cause him slight eye irritation. Fox could hear the frustration from Miyu with each grunt as she pulled the trigger.

"Miyu, do you see those glowing squares in the center of his hands?"

"Yes, I see them." Miyu shouted as she dived her fighter barely avoiding Andross' strike.

"Try to hit them, I think disabling them will destroy his hands."

Fox and Miyu concentrated their fire on Andross' hands trying to hit the squares as best they could. Most of Fox's shots were accurate, at least hitting the palm but Miyu seemed to struggle getting a clean shot. Andross swung wildly at them, making it very difficult to get a clear shot, resulting in them have to dodge his quick and powerful blows as they tried to score hits. Fox knew that just one blow would be enough to drain their shields, making it harder to concentrate on Andross' weak spots. After nearly a minute, Fox succeeded in blowing up Andross' right hand with Miyu destroying the left a few moments later. Losing his hands seems to do little to weaken Andross as he still kept coming at them with his head. Even with hands gone their lasers seemed to have little effect on his head.

Suddenly, Andross opened in his mouth and Fox immediate remembered from their previous battle what that indicated. He swerved his fighter to the right just as a strong, sucking wind began drawing anything nearby towards his mouth. Fox cleared the area just in time but he looked back and saw Miyu caught in the suction and be pulled towards Andross' mouth.

"Miyu, do a barrel roll, that should brake you enough to avoid being eaten." Fox called as he saw Miyu get pulled closer to Andross' mouth.

Fox saw Miyu nodded before she started spinning her fighter in a barrel roll as she pulled towards the right at the same time. To distract Andross, Fox fired several charged blasts at his forehead that seemed to work to lessen the power of the vortex. Miyu took advantage of the moment and barrel rolled just enough to break free of the vortex and pull away.

No sooner did Miyu break free of the vortex Andross's hands appeared and his raised his right hand at Fox who saw what looked like a gust of wind gathering at the center of his palm. Almost immediately, what appeared to be a tornado shot out of his hand towards Fox. He didn't question the reality of a tornado in space as it came at him.

Fox swerved his fighter to the left just in time to avoid taking a direct hit from the tornado. "Okay, that's a new trick."

Fox repositioned his fighter after dodging the tornado and fired a charged shot at Andross' forehead. The shot was a direct hit but he saw it cause no damage other than leave a small burn mark on Andross, and that healed almost instantly. The frustration was starting to get to Fox, make him desperate to cause some real damage other than small burn marks, but without some real fire power he knew there wasn't much they could do beyond evade.

"This isn't working, Fox." Miyu shouted as she dodged another strike.

"Tell me something I don't know. Without a way to actually deal damage all we're really doing is pissing him off."

"Ya think, how did defeat him the last time?"

"I told you that more than once." Fox shouted back as he dove down to avoid taking a blow from Andross's fist.

"I know, but I you haven't told me in years. It couldn't hurt to tell me again. That could be how we beat him this time."

"Alright, basically, I fired a nova bomb into his mouth and it exploded it made him vulnerable to take out his brain. I know that's hard to believe but that's how it happened."

Fox heard Miyu laugh over the radio. "Seriously, that's how you beat him? That has to be one of the dumbest explanations I've ever heard."

"I know but that's what happened. That may work now but I don't have any Nova Bombs."

"Neither do I, so it looks like we'll have to do something else."

Fox was about to reply when Andross launched a tornado from his hand at him. He swerved to the right hard barely dodging the tornado from taking his wing off. It was getting obvious to him that Andross' attacks were getting more aggressive and powerful. He was well aware that the dogfight was turning in Andross' favor with each passing moment. Fox could only dodge and fire at any opportunity he got as he became more concerned that without a way to do any serious damage Andross would eventually win. Suddenly, Fox's radar picked up on another fighter fast approaching from the right. He barely got a glimpse before he had to dodge another strike from Andross but from what he saw they were headed to join the fight. Given how the fight was going, and his luck, Fox didn't put a lot of hope in them coming to help him and Miyu.

"Hey McCloud." The pilot in the approaching called at and Fox immediately recognized the voice.

Out of the corner of his eye, Fox saw the new fighter turn towards Andross from behind and launch a nova bomb at him. The bomb hit Andross on the back of the head, stunning him but doing no real damage from what Fox could tell, but gave him and Miyu time to back away. The other fighter flew around them, popping shots at the stunned Andross.

"Different time, different planet, and you still need Falco's help. It's good to see ya buddy." Falco shouted as he curved his fighter to join Fox and Miyu.

"It's good to see you too buddy, we could really use the help."

"I can see that, you just can't help bringing Andross back can you."

"Not now Falco, you can bust my balls after we defeat this ape once and for all." Fox responded back with a hint of anger in his voice.

"I thought it was Fara's job to bust your balls."

"That is her specialty." Miyu said to Falco. "Though she does in way that leaves them both extremely satisfied."

Fox wanted to shout back at Miyu but saw Andross rising back up and advancing towards them. "Miyu, I'll get you back for that later, right now we got ALOT more important things to deal with."

"Yeah, yeah, so what's the plan?"

"You two focus on his hands, I'll try to damage his head."

"Got it." Falco and Miyu answered in unison.

Falco positioned himself on the right of Fox while Miyu too position on his left as Andross came at them again. Without hesitation, Miyu and Falco unleashed hell on Andross' hands, expertly hitting the weak spots in his palms. Andross had no time to attack with his hands before they were damaged to the point of blowing up. As soon as they did Fox fired relentlessly on Andross' head, targeting his eyes as much as possible. However, his lasers did little more than cause Andross to blink, barely even leaving a mark. Within moments Andross' hands reappeared and Falco and Miyu went to work trying to destroy them again so Fox could try to do some damage. After they've blown up his hands three times each, and saw no damage to Andross' head all three were starting to get frustrated.

"Dang it, we still can't cause any real damage." Miyu shouted as she blew up Andross' left hand again.

"Obviously, we need a nova bomb to weaken him so we can kill him." Fox replied.

No sooner did Fox stop speaking Andross opened his mouth, creating another vortex, trapping Fox in the suction. The vortex was stronger than the previous ones as Fox found himself unable to pull away, instead being drawn towards Andross' mouth. Despite Miyu and Falco rapidly firing at his head Andross continued to suck Fox towards him, apparently he really wanted a fox meat snack. Fox began getting desperate to get away but no matter how hard he pulled or barrel rolled he couldn't break away from the vortex.

"Hey Fox, take this." Falco called out from above Fox.

Fox looked up to see Falco had dropped a nova bomb carrier to him. He wasted no time as he turned his fighter up and fired, hitting the canister and obtaining the bomb.

"Thanks, Falco, this is just what I needed." Fox said as he lined up his position in the vortex.

Fox suddenly flew forward, allowing Andross to suck him in closer. He waited till he was just a short distance away from Andross' mouth and had the proper shot lined up, knowing he only had one shot or he'd most likely be eaten.

"Eat this you son of a bitch." Fox growled as he released the Nova Bomb.

The bomb flew from Fox's nose to be caught in think vortex, just as he planned. The vortex sucked the bomb into Andross' mouth just as he closed his mouth. Fox swerved around looking over his shoulder just enough to see the bomb explode in Andross' mouth. The explosion blew out Andross' cheeks, making him look like a squirrel with its mouth full. Steam blew out of his ears reminding Fox of the old cartoons. Andross screamed in pain as his face turned red as smoke came out of his mouth.

"Ha, just as funny this time as it was eight years ago." Fox laughed as he spun around, facing Andross. "Reminds me of the old cartoons after a character ate a smoking hot pepper or drank hot sauce."

Fox heard Miyu laughing over the radio. "Yes it does, looks like it actually damaged him."

Just as Miyu said, Fox noticed that Andross did appear to be damaged as he slowly lurched back towards Sauria. It was then that Fox noticed Andross' head starting to blink and his brain became visible. He knew immediately that was his weak spot from their last fight and they only had a short time to target it before he recovered and they'd have to do it all over again.

"Everyone, concentrate fire on his brain." Fox ordered.

Fox, Miyu, and Falco lined up side by side and unleashed a barrage of laser fire onto Andross' visible brain. Falco and Miyu fired so quickly that their lasers looked like continuous streams. Fox, on the other hand, had a harder time given he only had one laser while Miyu and Falco both had two, allowing them to deal more damage than he could. He quickly pushed it out of his mind and focused on shooting Andross' brain, blowing away large chunks. Within moments a large explosion erupted from Andross' brain making his head return to a visible state but appearing to be in a state of near destruction.

"NO, NOT AGAIN!" Andross screamed as he shook violently and turned bright red.

Even from inside the cockpit Fox could feel the pressure building up, just like how he faced Andross on Venom but somehow even more intense. Bright lights shown from Andross as cracks in his body appeared and the heat continued to rise. Fox didn't need to be a genius to know what was coming.

"We need to get out of here quickly." Falco shouted as he turned his fighter in the opposite direction of Andross before Fox could.

Fox didn't waste time in a smartelic reply as he turned his fighter around and accelerated as quickly as he could with Miyu close behind him. No sooner did he speed off Andross exploded with a bigger bang that what he had done on Venom. Fox refused to look behind him, knowing that the blast wave was closing in on him and others quickly. He could hear asteroids exploding behind him as the blast wave him, causing him to accurate as fast as his crumbling Arwing would go and hope that it would hold together long enough for him to escape. The warning alarms in his cockpit didn't make it any easier though they were a good indication of how close the blast wave was. It wasn't till they had flown nearly a thousand miles the sirens finally stopped and Fox was able to look behind him and see that the blast wave had stopped.

"Yahoo, we made it and saved the Lylat System once again, they'd better pay us big time for this one." Falco exclaimed as he slowed down.

Fox leaned back in his fighter as a sigh of relief escaped his lips. Truthfully, he didn't know what he was really feeling. The adrenaline rush of having just survived a giant explosion combined with a near dearth battle against one of the greatest threats Lylat had ever known was quickly leaving him with the thought of Andross having somehow still being alive taking its place. The thought of Andross having been alive the past eight years was horrifying to say the least, but since they just caused him to explode, again, Fox relaxed a little. The chattering, joyful voices of Miyu and Falco helped him quite a bit, till Fox remembered there was someone on board the Great Fox that he really needed to see, and a certain blue vixen he desperately wanted to talk with

 _I gotta get back to Vixy, she's probably going nuts worrying about me._ Fox thought as he turned his Arwing towards the direction his radar said the Great Fox was.

"Fox, look at that." Miyu called out, causing Fox to look at her to see she was pointing at Sauria.

Fox turned his head and gasped when he saw what was happening to the planet. Right before his eyes he saw the Krazoa Spirits flying around the chunks of Sauria that were floating around and somehow guide them back to the planet. His eyes saw it but his brain was having trouble comprehending the magnitude of what he was watching. Fox realized that what the Earthwalkers said was right, the Krazoa were holding the planet together, and he just didn't truly believe it till he saw it with his own eyes. Within minutes, all of the chunks were back to together and the planet looked like new.

 _Well, that's something you don't see every day. Hopefully someone on the Great Fox got that on video, it's not likely we'll ever see that again._

* * *

Great Fox Bridge

 _Finally, at long last, back safe and home about the Great Fox._

Fox thought as he stepped onto the elevator to the bridge.

Fox moved slowly around the Great Fox after he stepped off his fighter, his body being very sore from the nearly two day long adventure on Sauria. His arm hurt more than anything from the cut General Scales gave him, at least that had fully stopped bleeding and only needed stitches. He just ignored the pain as he pressed the button for the bridge, focusing on the inevitable reunion with his team. After being gone for so long no doubt they'd be ecstatic to see him, but Vixy more than anyone else, he couldn't wait to see her again. However, to elevator arrived to the bridge and opened up for Fox to see only Slippy and Peppy waiting for him.

 _I wonder where Fay, Miyu, and Vixy are._ Fox thought as he stepped onto the bridge.

No sooner did Fox step out of the elevator did Slippy turn around and start squealing with joy. He squealed so loudly that Fox and Peppy had to cover their ears. Fox ignored it and walked towards his friends, slapping Slippy's shoulder and shaking Peppy's hand.

"We did it Fox." Peppy shouted.

"Dinosaur Planet is saved." Slippy exclaimed loudly.

"Andross is defeated once again."

Fox laid his hands on Peppy and Slippy's shoulder. "You all did a great job."

Before anyone could reply the hologram communicator began buzzing, indicating an incoming call. Fox knew it was either General Pepper calling to congratulate them or Fara wanting a briefing. Rob answered the call and immediately a hologram of General Pepper's head appeared.

"General Pepper here. Good work Star Fox team. I received a message from the King and Queen Earthwalker thanking you for saving their world. Oh and Tricky says hi."

Fox fought back a laugh as General Pepper mentioned Tricky. Of course he'd have a funny remark. He was just surprised Tricky took the time to thank him. Still, he was going to miss that little dinosaur, having him around was kind of useful and made things entertaining, even though he was annoying at times.

"I was, however, very surprised to hear that Andross was still alive." General Pepper continued.

"Not as much as we were." Slippy stated.

 _I bet Fara is even more surprised anyone, except me._ Fox thought before approaching the hologram. "It seems that Andross discovered the ancient power of the Krazoa. And by trapping the vixen called Krystal, who had the ability to channel this power, he was able to use this energy to revive himself."

"At least this time we'll see the last of him. I'm transferring your fee as we speak. Pepper out."

Slippy squealed with joy as the hologram turned off and Peppy said. "We can finally repair this ship."

"And I really need some oil. These joints are not what they used to be" Rob added.

At that moment the bridge door opened causing everyone to turn and see Falco enter. The room fell near silent to see Falco barging on board but that didn't seem to stop him at all.

"And I can't wait to get back with the Star Fox team. Hey guys, you don't mind if I hang with you again, do you?" Falco asked as he approached Fox.

Fox crossed his arms and looked at Fox with a puzzled look. After everything that happened on Titania four years ago, and not saying a word since then, no doubt there'd be some tension between everyone. But, Fox was aware that it was a long time ago, and Falco was an old friend that probably needed help, so he decided it was best to lighten up.

"Sure, Falco, it's great to have you back." Fox said, slapping Falco on the shoulder.

"The Star Fox team is back together again." Slippy cheered.

Fox smiled he watched everyone come together and celebrate the long awaited reunion of the Star Fox team. It felt a bit nostalgic for him to have the old team back together, even though he wasn't quite sure what it meant for the future. But, whatever happened Fox knew they'd face it as a team.

"Oh Fox, I almost forgot, I received this message from Krystal." Peppy said out of nowhere.

Fox looked at Peppy with a slightly angry glare, wondering why he didn't inform him of that earlier. After spending so much time trying to save her Fox would love nothing more than to actually speak with Krystal, besides seeing Vixy again. After destroying Andross he flew back down to the Krazoa Palace to see her. Instead he found the place crawling with Sharpclaw and Krystal gone. Given how cold she was after he saved her Fox figured she left and that he'd never see her again. To hear that Peppy had a message from her excited him

Peppy shifted to hologram and turned it on so a visual of Krystal's head appeared. "Hi Fox, I really appreciate what you did for me, I'm just so sorry we didn't get much of a chance to talk. I'm left with just one more thing to do."

The hologram suddenly shut off leaving everyone on the bridge confused, especially Fox. There seemed to be nothing left to the message, just a vague "thank you" and confusion as to what Krystal meant. Everyone turned to Fox for an explanation, who could only shrug as a response. It wasn't till the elevator door opened up, causing everyone to turn around to see Krystal standing there that everything was clear.

"And that's to say thank you." Krystal said, appearing to try hard not to blush.

Fox's jaw dropped as Krystal walked onto the bridge. Just like the first time he saw Krystal, when she was stuck in the crystal, he heard saxophones playing in his mind as she approached him. His heart began beating so fast it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest as he watched her strut, the skimpy outfit she was wearing made the moment even better. He tried to get those thoughts out of his mind so he didn't seem like a pervert. Out of the corner of his eye Fox could see Falco doing the same thing he was with a similar stunned look that he had on. Slippy and Peppy seemed to be just as shocked as he was but they weren't stunned by Krystal's beauty as he and Falco were.

"Well, uh, ok." I mean sure, no problem." Fox stuttered as best he could.

Slippy laughed. "You're not shy, are you, Fox?"

Fox turned and glared daggers at Slippy who seemed to laugh at his embarrassment. Slippy was the last person he thought would embarrass him in front of a beautiful woman. Apparently he was getting an even bigger kick of it than Falco, who Fox figured would be abusing the moment more than anyone.

"My sensors indicate Fox's temperature rising." Rob said, getting an evil glare from Fox. "Are you ok, Fox?"

Fox blushed so hard he thought Krystal would see it through his fur. He'd never been that embarrassed his entire life, not even when Fara introduced him to her parents. He wanted to just roll over and die, after smacking Rob with a sledgehammer. But, seeing Krystal giggle right in front of him gave Fox slight confidence to just accept the situation and try to at least talk to her.

"I'm going to be just fine." Fox said, rubbing the back of his head.

Krystal blushed as she looked Fox in the eyes with what he guessed with a flirting smile. She seemed to be just as awkward he was in the situation but was handling it better. From what Fox could tell she was actually enjoying it, he guessed Krystal just liked being near him, he couldn't guess why other than the fact that he had saved her life. Whatever the reason, Fox didn't care, he was just glad to finally have her nearby, and hopefully have a private conversation with her later, assuming Falco, Slippy, and Peppy left them alone long enough for that.

Fox was about to speak when the bridge elevator opened and Fay followed by Vixy and Miyu entered the bridge. His eyes lit up seeing her, even though she was rubbing her eyes and yawning. It took Vixy a moment for her to stop yawning and look around to see Fox standing on the bridge. As soon as Vixy saw Fox she seemed to light up with excitement.

"DADDY, you're alive." Vixy shouted then ran to Fox.

Fox barely had time to ready himself as Vixy ran towards him and jumped into his arms. She jumped with such force that Fox was almost knocked over. He caught her as she wrapped his arms around his neck and held on tight as he wrapped his arms around her. Vixy squealed with joy as he healed her tight. Fox's heart felt like it was pumping a thousand beats a minute holding her. He didn't care that everyone was staring at them, he was reunited with his daughter after a long, dangerous mission. After holding Vixy for nearly a minute Fox finally set her down.

"I'm happy to see you too little sweetie. Were you well behaved while I was gone?"

"Yes, I was very good." Vixy answered in an adorable voice as she could.

Fox shifted his gaze to Fay and Miyu who gave him questionable expressions. He knew from past experiences with previous babysitters, including Fay and Miyu, which meant she was good but troublesome. It didn't surprise him one bit, Vixy had a reputation for breaking babysitters, both physically and mentally, that wasn't her intention though, she just had a lot of energy and was quite smart. At least Fay and Miyu were tough and appeared to be uninjured.

"So Fox, this is the vixen you've been ogling the entire mission." Miyu shouted as she approached Fox appearing to look Krystal over. "I can see why."

Fox shook his head as Miyu made her way over to Krystal with Fay following close behind her. He had a feeling she'd make an embarrassing comment like that. Miyu was well known for being bisexual, she just preferred to make out with women while screw with men. He learned that when they dated back in their academy days. Krystal didn't seem to be bothered by it though, she just shrugged and giggled.

"Why thank you, I'll take that as a compliment." Krystal said with a hint of sarcasm then walked towards Miyu and Fay and extended her hand to them. "Nice to meet you two."

Fox took a step back, shocked by Krystal's response. He expected her to be furious or embarrassed but instead she just smiled and shrugged it off. Miyu and Fay seemed to be just as stunned as he was, though they still shook her hand. From what Fox observed they seemed to like her but he noticed they were also hiding something, he knew it wasn't time to ask them why.

"So Krystal, I know that Fox hasn't asked this but why were you on Sauria and stuck ironically in a crystal?" Fay asked.

Fox glared at Fay. "I haven't but I was getting around to it. I didn't think it was okay to ask her after she had just been freed. After such things it's best to give the person time to relax and process things first before asking questions."

Fox sighed in relief in his mind as he finished speaking. That was the best response he could come up with on top of his head, it seemed to be a pretty good one looking back at it. He knew that asking someone who had just been through a traumatic experience immediately afterwards was a horrible idea as their mind was often running wild and result in them saying things that just weren't true and they wouldn't realize it. Fox had seen it happen quite a bit in his life of work with the adrenaline rush and fear often making things difficult for soldiers. For Krystal he figured it'd be best if she had time to rest first.

"Well, you're not wrong Fox." Krystal said, getting the attention of everyone. "After everything I've been through, being stuck in a crystal for who knows how long, nearly blown up, tossed off a fighter, almost ripped apart by tentacle spirits, and hearing what General Scales and his entire army had planned for me, I'd say I definitely needed a rest."

"Uh, what did they have planned for you?" Miyu asked out of curiosity.

"It should be obvious, I'm a beautiful woman and they are an army of women deprived soldiers. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what they wanted."

The room fell into an awkward, deathly silence, it became so quiet that Fox could hear Vixy's stomach growling. Just hearing it both shocked and infuriated Fox. He'd heard rumors about such things but never imagined it was actually true. Krystal's response seemed to work on Miyu's question too as she became quiet.

Krystal turned to Fox after no one spoke for what seemed like forever. "So, if you think about it, Fox, I owe for more than just saving me from falling to my death. I'm sure I'll find some way to repay you."

"Uh, yeah, I guess so, you're welcome." Fox replied rubbing the back of his head. "I think it'd be best if we change subjects, we shouldn't be discussing that in front of a little girl."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Fox though it seemed that no one had a clue on what to say next. It wasn't till Vixy walked home behind Krystal and pulled on her loincloth to get her attention. Krystal turned around and Fox noticed she seemed to fight saying something cute to the little kit.

"You really are as cute as everyone said you are." Vixy said in her adorable kit voice.

Krystal kneeled down to Vixy's eye level and smiled lovingly at her. "Why thank you little cutie, my name's Krystal, and you are?"

Fox expected Vixy to puff herself up and shout that she wasn't cute, instead she giggled and replied. "Thank you, Krystal, my name is Vixy . . . Fox is my dad."

"Well then, I can see where you get your cuteness from."

"Nah, I get that and my intelligence from my mommy. I got daddy's stubborn nature."

 _You got that from your mother too._ Fox thought as he shook his head. _Great, even a little kit is making fun of me now._

Krystal smiled as she gently patted Vixy's head. "I'm sure that's true, I look forward to finding out for myself."

"You plan on staying around for a while?" Vixy asked.

"Krystal shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, there's a lot to consider before I make any decision."

"That brings me to my question." Fay stated, getting everyone's attention. "Now that you're free of your . . . predicament, what are you going to do now?"

"Honestly, I really don't know. With Sauria safe and my parent's death avenged there's really nothing I can think of."

"Why not return home?" Slippy asked.

"It'd complicated but I really can't. I violated an order from my tribal leader so I can't return unless under emergency circumstances. Don't worry, I didn't do anything bad, just refused to stay put while my parents' murder roamed free." Krystal answered.

"Hm, I know exactly how that feels, Krystal. It's not easy to sit still in that scenario." Fox replied, remembering what Andross did to his mom and dad. "Well, until you figure out what you want to do you're more than welcome to stay with us."

Krystal looked at Fox stunned for a moment. "Are you sure, I know it's a cliché but I hate to be a burden on you. I already owe you for saving me."

"Of course, we got plenty of room here for ya. The Great Fox has lots of spare rooms so we can accommodate you."

"Plus your testimony or statement would benefit our contract greatly." Peppy added. "You know more about what was going on down there than most of us. Our employer would greatly appreciate it. That is if you're willing to."

"I can do that, it'd be a step in the right direction in paying you back." Krystal replied with a smile. "You guys are mercenaries, correct?"

"Yes, is that s problem?" Fox replied.

"Not at all, if anything I'd like to make a proposition to you."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Well, I know this is sudden and you don't know me but I'd like to assist you for a time, if that's possible." Krystal responded, getting a stunned look, from everyone.

"Uh, are you sure about that? What you're asking is a pretty tall order."

"I know, but I want to at least help till I pay you back. My honor won't allow anything less."

"Hm, that may be doable, but first we need to see what you can do. No offense but it would be foolish if I let you on the team without testing you first." Fox said.

Fox heard Falco laugh behind him. "Judging from how you've been staring at her I figured you'd let her on the team no questions asked.

"Shut up bird brain." Fox shouted at Falco then turned back to Krystal. "Before I agree to let you on the team I'll have to test you, that's only fair and logical."

"Hm, nice to see there's a man in this system that doesn't think with his dick." Krystal replied, crossing her arms under her more than ample breasts, pushing them up for good visibility for everyone. "I don't mind being tested, I think you'll find I'm more than capable."

Fox couldn't help but glance down at Krystal's cleavage, they were right in his field of view. It took everything he had not to drool or stare too long. He'd always had a problem not staring at women with large breasts, and for a vixen of Krystal's size, she was more than qualified. The fact that her breasts were covered in a small, strapless bra only made it worse for Fox, they looked really tight stuck under such a skimpy article of clothing. If he had to guess, Krystal was around a 12 DD bra size, quite large for a vixen, even Fara was 36 CC and she had a slightly above average vixen breast size. Though Fox only glanced at Krystal's lovely mounds for barely a second, he was already love struck. He quickly shifted his eyes back to her eyes, hoping she didn't notice his gaze.

"We'll see, but that right now there are other things we need to accomplish first, like sending the data to Fara and getting paid. So, for now we'll focus on getting you situated . . . if you still want to travel with us." Fox said.

"Definitely, I'd love to travel with you guys."

"Well then, welcome aboard the Great Fox, I'm sure that you'll enjoy your time with us." Fox replied with a big smile then turned to Miyu who was still starring lustfully at Krystal the same way Fox been when she was stuck in the Krystal. "Miyu, will you show Krystal to the spare quarters and help her get situated.

"Thank you, Fox, I'm sure I'll enjoy my time with you guys."

Miyu made her way to Krystal and patted her on her bare shoulder. "I'm sure a pretty thing like you will have a great time here. Follow me and I'll get you set up."

Krystal nodded, Fox noticed her blush as she followed Miyu to the elevator. As Krystal walked away Fox couldn't help but find his gaze drawn to her rear. Though Krystal didn't have as fine an ass as Fara she was still pretty well shaped. Watching her rear and tail shake side to side with each step had him hypnotized. It was made even better by the short loincloth she was wearing that hid little. Fara never wore skirts or anything close to what Krystal had, to see it only aroused Fox even more. It wasn't till Krystal and Miyu were in the elevator that he was snapped out of his trance. Once the elevator door closed Fox turned around to see the stern expressions of every adult in the room focused solely and intensely on him. Even Fay was giving him an angry glare. He'd been given that look before by Peppy and Fara, always after he had messed up in some way, but never by so many people at once. Fox felt like a prey being eyed by a group of predators about to pounce. The only person who really didn't was Falco who seemed to enjoy the view nearly as much as he did. No one said anything and that made it even scarier for Fox.

"What, did I do something wrong guys?" Fox asked, breaking the silence.

Falco didn't hesitate to answer. "Oh yeah, we all saw you ogling that vixen."

"So were you Falco, I noticed you didn't take your eyes off her breasts the entire time she was in here. Katt would slap your beak off if she saw that."

"No, Katt would've asked her to join us in . . ."

"Stop right there, Falco." Fox shouted, interrupting Falco. "Remember we have a child present."

All eyes turned to Vixy who looked around at everyone seeming to wait for an answer or explanation. A quick added glare from Fox seemed to change Falco's tune, even though he knowing Katt as he did it wouldn't surprise him if she did make such a proposition to Krystal. He had a suspicion as well that at some point during the tour Miyu would make Krystal a similar proposition as well, he just forced the thoughts of his mind for the moment.

"Sorry Fox, but you get what I'm say probably wouldn't care. But it's not me with the problem, it's you that has Fara to worry about." Slippy stated.

"Yeah Fox, I don't think Fara would be too happy to hear that you have been starring at some random scantily clad vixen." Fay added with a sarcastic tone.

"Probably not, though we're not married anymore and she's millions of miles away." Fox replied. "Don't worry, I still have feelings for Fara, I just got sidetracked by Krystal. I'm not going to do anything with her."

"That doesn't even begin to describe it." Peppy growled at Fox. "You should know that your headset recorded everything you did, including staring lustfully at Krystal."

"I know for a fact that Fara has seen that video." Sloppy added, getting a shocked gap from Fox. "Sorry buddy but I sent the video with the first transfer of information to Fara, which was not long after you first saw Krystal."

Fox grabbed a hold of his chair to keep himself from collapsing. Hearing that Fara had probably already seen him giving Krystal lustfully glares while she was unconscious sent shockwaves of fear throughout his entire body. She'd always been a jealous type, especially when they were dating, getting suspicious any time Fox starred too long at an attractive woman. Even though they'd been divorced for a couple years Fara still had a tendency to get a little jealous of any woman around Fox, just not as much as she used to. He knew that the next time he was alone with Fara he was going to get an earful, and probably more.

"Uh, has Fara said anything about it." Fox asked once he steadied himself.

"No, she has messaged us back but hasn't said anything about that." Peppy answered.

"I think she's saving the beat down for the next time she sees you." Fay added in a joking voice.

"That would be funny if it wasn't true." Falco responded with a smirk.

Fox glared at Falco knowing full well that what he said was true. Knowing Fara he wouldn't be surprised if she chased him around with a frying pan or bat. Though Fara hid it well she did have a temper problem, it just took her a while to get to that point. The video Slippy sent her may just be what sets her off. He knew he was most likely a dead man, figuratively. He had hopes that Fara would at least hear him out, she probably would since she'd mellowed out in recent years, but still knew he had better tread carefully. It wasn't till Fox felt Vixy tugging on his vest and looked down to see her staring up at him that he snapped out of his train of thought.

"Daddy, do you like Krystal?" Vixy asked in her adorable voice.

Fox looked at Vixy unsure for a moment. He knew he had to answer carefully, otherwise Vixy might start asking question after question, she could become sad at the thought that he might love someone other than he mom, or she could tell Fara and possibly result in his death. Fox was aware of how he felt about Krystal, despite having technically just met her but wording it to Vixy seemed more important.

"Well, Vixy . . . you see . . . I do like Krystal. I mean she is VERY beautiful so naturally I'd like her. But, it's really too early to be certain about anything between us since this is the first time we've actually spoken. It'll take a while before anything is certain and I can confirm if I like her the same way I do your mother or as a friend. Does that make sense?"

Vixy seemed to think a moment before replying. "Yes daddy, I think it does. You want to have Krystal the same way you and mom are."

"Uh, what do you mean by that, Vixy?" Fay asked.

"Well, if it means anything like you and mom I guess you want Krystal in your bedroom with the door locked. I don't know what you'd do in there but I know it involves a lot of screaming and you two shouting each other's name. Seeing how you and mom are happy afterwards I think Krystal would enjoy that too."

Fox's jaw dropped so low it could've hit the floor. He had grown accustomed to Vixy's off-the-wall responses but her answer went way beyond what he or anyone else expected. Though what Vixy said was true, he would love to spend even an hour entangled with Krystal, he was not about to admit it. Besides, Fox wasn't the kind of guy to jump into bed with a beautiful vixen after they had just met. On top of that he also had Fara to think about, even though they were divorced he still loved her. What concerned Fox was that Vixy figured out he liked Krystal so quickly, the mental capabilities she seemed to have appeared to be near supernatural at times.

 _When did Vixy become this smart._ Fox thought as he looked down at Vixy. _At least she's too young to really understand what adults do._

Fox laid a hand on Vixy's shoulder. "Can you please not tell your mother about any of that?"

"Ok daddy, I promise not to." Vixy replied with a smile that didn't ease Fox's concern.

Fox knew he was leg going to get a better response from Vixy, so he decided it'd be best not to dwell on the subject any longer. From the look on everyone else it seemed they were in unspoken agreement. The sooner they changed subject the more comfortable he'd be.

"So, I think we can move on to a more important subject." Fox stated as he approached the console where Slippy and Peppy stood. "Where are we in getting the information to Fara?"

"Almost done, we were close to finishing downloading the video feed so Fara can view it. That shouldn't take long."

"That's good, you need any help?"

"Don't worry Fox, we can finish this part. You just get some sleep and relax with your daughter. After everything you've been through you've earned it." Peppy said.

Fox nodded as he was too tired to argue. "Alright, I guess I'll head to bed then if you don't need me."

"Smart move, take care and get some real sleep." Peppy responded, turning back to the console as Fox let out a yawn before exiting the bridge with Fay and Vixy close behind him.

X

Zathora smiled as she watched the awkward conversation going on inside the Great Fox Bridge. It reminded her of the first time she revealed to Angol her true form and abilities. She tried hard not to laugh at the spectacle before her, watching Miyu escort Krystal off the bridge to find her accommodations and real clothes that didn't make her look like a Macbeth prostitute. Watching Fox stutter and turn red in front of Krystal was funny enough without the others purposely embarrassing him, Vixy's assistance, though unintentional, just made it funnier. Observing Fox's entire adventure was quite entertaining to Zathora as well as quite informative to her. She'd learned quite a bit about Star Fox; what they were capable of, their personalities, and their hidden potential. Zathora had also spotted potential romances though she didn't focus on them for the time being, those would come into play later, and she knew they didn't require her attention at the moment as they'd most likely work out on their own.

Floating in space had no effect on Zathora as she watched Fox be embarrassed by his teammates and daughter in front of the gorgeous blue vixen. An entity of her power couldn't be harmed by such trifle means, or really any means a universe was capable of. Inside the Great Fox they couldn't even see her unless she wanted them to; if they did she'd just appear as a ghost floating in space. Zathora wasn't there to get involved anyway, just to observe the Star Fox teams progress and abilities, which so far she was satisfied enough for the moment.

As Zathora watched Fox, Slippy, Peppy, and Fay discuss the events that happened on Sauria, she evaluated them herself. She had watched them and others closely ever since she had her vision to determine if they truly were able to deal with the coming threat or not. Judging from what she saw Zathora knew that currently the Star Fox team did not have the capabilities to even be a challenge for the threat, though they certainly had the determination. She attributed most of it to the current lack of condition of the team; most of their vehicles were in horrible, deteriorating condition after all. She didn't hold that against them, she was aware that once they got paid the condition of the team would greatly improve. What did concern Zathora was the lack of personal, mental, psychological, and relationship readiness the team was in. From what she observed they were far from ready to deal with the future than she wanted them to be. That was something she had to prepare them for, without their knowledge.

Watching them congratulate each other did bring a smile to Zathora's face, the celebration mortals indulged themselves in after every victory, even small ones, amused her. She considered it a blessing mortals possessed that beings like her did not. Since mortals couldn't see the future, and didn't live forever like her, that allowed them to celebrate every chance they got. It was certainly a something Zathora wished she had the ability to indulge in, but knowing what laid ahead for the Star Fox team she didn't have the luxury. However, she knew that Star Fox had their time to celebrate and after what they've been through they deserved time to celebrate and relax, before things really got chaotic for them. They wouldn't be up to their top quality if they were stressed, Zathora knew that after all her dealings with mortals, and it was quite a disadvantage that mortals had.

It brought solace to her to see them finally relax and finish their contract. She watched Slippy and Peppy head over to the main console and finish their final report with the help of Rob for Fara. Meanwhile Fox headed out of the bridge, no doubt to finally relax and sleep, after everything he'd been through he'd certainly earned it, having been awake for well over twenty-four hours getting beaten and bruised. Fay was close behind him leading Vixy, the sight was quite cute to Zathora. No doubt they were on their way to relax and possibly hook up with Miyu and Krystal in a bit once they rested.

Zathora sighed as she turned and floated away as she saw the Star Fox team begin their small victory celebration. _Too bad they don't realize the threat to Lylat is just beginning. They may have defeated Andross but fighting what lies ahead will test them in ways they can't even imagine. The future holds more than war for them but personal hardships, new and old relationships forming and crumbling and the threat will show them no mercy. They will need each other and more if they hope to stop it, let alone survive. Looks like I got my work cut out for me._

To be continued.

* * *

Androids is defeated, at least it seems that way, with the help of Miyu and Falco, and Krystal is traveling with Star Fox for the time being. What does Zathora mean by threat? Meanwhile on Macbeth Diana and her brother Torygg are planning something against the Venomians there. What do they have planned?

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	10. Horrifying Discovery and Daring Escape

See, I told you there was more to the story, it just took me a while to update it, this is a long chapter after all, hopefully the last long chapter I do for awhile. I'm just glad I've managed to stay dedicated to this story for so long and I thank you for continuing to read it, that means a lot to me.

This chapter does pick up almost immediately where the last chapter ended so there's really no time jump. Though most of the chapter will focus on OC characters introducing one of the two real threats in this story. So please, hang on it'll all make sense . . . hopefully.

There's quite a few elements from my story "Fox's Unknown Daughter" in this chapter but you don't need to to read it to understand what's going on. 

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 9: Horrifying Discovery and Daring Escape

Great Fox

"Here we are, Krystal, your room." Miyu said as she opened the door.

Krystal looked into the room as Miyu stepped aside. From what Krystal could see the room was better than she expected. She spotted a large, queen-sized bed that appeared to be comfortably made. Near the bed was a lounge chair and large couch with a large TV sitting on a table and a small desk nearby. There was a bathroom at the far end that she could see had a large tub with a shower, sink, and toilet. On the other side of the bed sat a large closet that appeared to be able to hold a lot of clothes.

"Huh, these are better accommodations that I'm used to." Krystal said.

"That doesn't surprise me, the Great Fox was built for long space journeys, and so comfortable living arrangements are necessity."

"That's good to know, finally a comfortable place to sleep after what feels like forever." Krystal replied the turned to Miyu. "So, Miyu, do you know what's going to happen now?"

"Well, after Andoss was discovered to be alive, I think that Fox will be ordered to make a full report to the Cornerian government. Hopefully by hologram so we don't have to go all the way to Corneria, that's a long journey from here. After that, I don't know, we'll probably head to Macbeth to restock and visit Daria?"

"Alright, who's Daria?"

"She's Fox's younger, half-sister that's stationed on a Cornerian military base on Macbeth. Fox visits her pretty often. Plus, Macbeth is the closest space port so that'd be my guess." Miyu answered.

"Makes sense to me. I was just curious."

"That's fine; I figured you'd want to know at some point."

"Yeah, it's better than not knowing I guess." Krystal nodded and entered the room with Miyu close behind her. "Thank you, Miyu, I think I can get myself situated from here." Krystal said.

"It's no problem, Krystal, after everything you've been through I'm happy to help. If you need any help just ask."

"I definitely will, it's nice to finally some place where the people are friendly."

"Of course, we're all friendly on this ship, you'll find that out pretty quickly." Miyu smiled as she crossed her arms. "So, do you think that Fox is cute?"

Krystal couldn't help but laugh to herself as she sat her bag on the bed and turned around to face Miyu. It was pretty obvious on the bridge that there was something between her and Fox, even though she tried to hide it. She just thought that it'd be longer before someone asked her about it. Krystal just wished Miyu would've been more subtle about it, and didn't ogle her the whole time.

"I would be lying if I said no. He's definitely handsome and he seems like a real gentleman."

"After what happened on the bridge I can say that I'm not surprised in the least. I noticed you blush a little when you were near him. I don't need any observation skills to know that he likes you."

"Of course, I would be surprised if he wouldn't." Krystal replied.

"Obviously, a vixen as lovely and busty as you would have all eyes on her the moment you walked into the room, including some women. Fox was just being a gentlemen about it, while Falco was being . . . well, an a-hole."

"I know, is Falco always like that?"

"Kind of, though he has Katt who I guess you can say is his friend with benefits. So I wouldn't worry about him." Miyu answered with a smirk. "If I were you I'd focus on Fox or someone else."

Krystal smiled as she did a quick mental read of Miyu to see who she was talking about. It didn't shock her to see that the feline was referring to her, but also Katt, and another vixen named Daria. As much as Krystal wanted to keep reading the lynx's mind she had other, more important questions that needed to be answered.

"So, Miyu, is Fox available for a certain, as you say, lovely and voluptuous vixen to date?" Krystal asked with a seductive smile.

"Well, that's an harder question to answer than you think. At the moment it's questionable, you see, Fox was married to another vixen named Fara Phoenix who is Vixy's mother but they divorced a couple years ago. But, last time I heard they were working on getting back together but that's going slowly."

"Oh, that's . . . not the answer I was expecting. From the way he was looking at me I could've sworn he was single."

"That's why I said it was hard to explain. Fox and Fara ARE divorced so technically he is available, but they have patched things up between them and, from what I heard, still have feelings for each other." Miyu explained.

"Okay, what does divorce me? That's not a concept we have or know on Cerinia."

"Huh, well, divorce is when a married couple split apart. Basically, it means a marriage is over and the two are free to date and mate again."

"What, why would a couple do such a thing?" Krystal shouted. "On Cerinia a couple is mated for life, we take it VERY seriously. Such a thing is unheard of and even if it did it'd be highly looked down upon."

"Man, you Cerinians take mating and marriage very seriously."

"Of course, bonding in such a way is a very serious matter. Splitting apart like you're stating would not go well on Cerinia. Why would Fox and this Fara woman split up."

"Well, there are a lot of factors that played a role, most of it had to do with their jobs keeping them apart and that caused tension between them. I don't know what actually caused it so you'll have to ask Fox about it. I wouldn't expect an answer though, he's quite sensitive on the subject." Miyu replied.

"Oh, I will, I have to if I'm ever going to get to know him. Besides, that, how Fox and Fara's relationship right now."

"Pretty strong from my last observation. Vixy keeps them together and seeing each other and I've seen them acting romantic with each other. I even heard they slept together once a few months back, though that was more of an accident than anything. I don't think their relationship is strong enough to say that they're actually a couple though, so if you're careful you should be able to get Fox attention if you're careful."

"Huh, that sounds easier said than done. I definitely want to though with Fara in the picture diving it sounds like a horrible idea. I think I'll just play it safe for the time being." Krystal replied with a sigh, crossing her arms under her chest causing her large melons to bunch up, resulting in her hearing a soft purr coming from Miyu.

"I'd say that's a wise choice."

"I figured you'd like that. What about you and Fox? I can sense than the two of you have a relationship."

"Uh, yeah, Fox and I dated in the academy. I was his first girlfriend. I dated his older brother Todd shortly before that. Fox and I were together for little more than a year, so I can say from my experience true gentlemen . . . in more ways than one." Miyu said with a seductive smile.

"And from what I can see, a real animal in the sack."

Krystal's comment caused Miyu to gasp and look at her in shock. Her expression made Krystal laugh for a moment before she recovered.

"How, do you know that?" Miyu asked in a suspicious tone"

"Simple, my people are telepathy, we can read minds and emotions like you read books."

"Seriously, you can read people's minds?"

"Yes, my people have had that ability for thousands of years." Krystal replied with a smile. "Most of the time it's limited to emotions and whatever is currently on that person's mind. If we concentrate, and if the person is willing, hard enough we can have nearly full access to their minds."

"Oh, so, you saw what I was thinking?"

"Yes, you were thinking about the time Fox bent you over the bed in up his room at the academy and did you like a dog. I also saw you on our walk over here thinking about lying with me on the bed, nude, and keeping me pinned by my breasts."

"Uh, I got no words for that." Miyu replied, looking to Krystal like she was about to pass out from embarrassment.

Krystal slowly approached Miyu and laid a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, you're not the first person I've sensed having those thoughts about me. Your thoughts were tame compared to Falco's, Fox's were better, in his mind he was a gentlemen."

"That's not making me feel much better."

"I know, but don't worry about it, as long as you don't act on it we're good."

"Oh, so you don't feel the same."

"No, it's just that I'm still a virgin, and I don't feel like losing that to people I just met." Krystal answered.

"Ah, I forgot about that, you just met us, so unless you were a complete slut or a prostitute I don't see it happening."

"Well, in this outfit I probably do look like a harlot by your standards."

Krystal saw Miyu's eyes dart over her body for what seemed like the hundredth time, though that time was not for lust but to see her point. She was right, wearing just a strapless bra and a loincloth, there was little left to the imagination. Krystal knew that was a big reason why everyone on the bridge was staring at her. If she was going to fit in she'd need different clothes.

"That can be easily fixed, there are clothes in the closet over there." Miyu said, pointing to the closest on Krystal's right.

"Thanks, I'll see if I can find something more . . . appropriate." Krystal replied then walked over to the closest and looking through it.

"Just so you know, in case you want to get Fox's attention, I'd go with short shorts and the spaghetti strapped top. He likes tight pants that show off a woman's rear and tops that reveal a modest amount of cleavage."

"Thanks, though it might be a little early to get Fox's attention, I'd rather get to know him a little first before I start flirting with him. Besides, I know you like the same thing."

"Uh, what do you mean by that?"

"Well, long story short, I'm bi-sexual, nearly all Cerinian women." Krystal answered as she turned around holding a pair of clothes she had chosen. "So, at the moment you got as good a chance as Fox to have me in your bed."

Krystal walked to the bed and laid down a pair of black shorts and a red top with a served as a tube top except for the neck strap. She heard a satisfied our escape from Miyu's mouth from behind her as she looked the clothes over. For a moment, she picked up on Miyu's thoughts that she was really resisting the urge to start a make out session. The thought of it caused anxiety to build up in Krystal, not the good kind, making her worried that things were about to go too far."

Krystal turned around quickly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to take things that far. I like you but not like that."

"I figured that was a case, things got a little . . . suggestive back there. I say we forget it for now."

"I agree, besides, it's Fox I'm possibly interested in."

"I know, just remember, Fox has a daughter and things between him and her mother are pretty good. You getting involved would most likely not end well." Miyu replied.

"Of course, that's why I'm not going to jump with Fox immediately, but just observe . . . for the time being."

"Good girl, you a lot better woman than I took you for."

"Thanks, I guess." Krystal responded with a sigh.

Krystal looked around the room and spotted a picture on the dresser. The tension between them after the awkward moment they had was still pretty high from what she could sense. Seeing an opportunity to change that, Krystal approached the picture to take a closer work, her curiosity drawing her to it.

"That picture is of Fox's family." Miyu said, causing Krystal to look at her for a moment before looking back at the picture. "I don't know why he keeps it in this bedroom."

Krystal looked at the picture closer and noticed nine people in it, including Fox. In the picture, Fox looked to be a teenager, possibly fifteen while two adult foxes stood over him. The male was a handsome red fox while the other was an attractive Arctic vixen. On their right was a large red fox that appeared to be in his early twenties in a Cornerian military uniform while on their left was an arctic fox that seemed to be around the same age as Fox. In front of Fox, seated on a bench, was a young vixen a few years younger than Fox with twin kits next to him.

"Fox seems to have a pretty big family," Krystal said.

"He did, though two of them are gone now. Fox keeps multiple pictures around to remind him of the good old days when the family was all together."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, the short version is that Fox's father, James, the red fox in that picture, was murdered by Andross more than a decade ago, as was Fox's mother when he was pretty young." Miyu replied.

"Huh, something Fox and I have in common, all of our parents were murdered by the same monster ape."

"You're kidding me?"

"I wish I was, maybe I'll tell you the story someday." Krystal responded, looking back at the picture. "So if Fox's mother died when he was young who's that vixen?"

"That's Shelby, James married her a couple years after Vixy, Fox's mother died. That fox standing beside her is her son Malcom, while those three kits in front of them are James and Shelby's kids they had after they got married, though I believe she was carrying their oldest daughter, Daria, when they got married, but that's just me."

"Well, they certainly make a cute family. Who's that fox beside James in the military uniform?"

"That is Todd, Fox's older brother. He was a real badass." Miyu answered.

"What do you mean was?"

"I mean he's no longer with us . . . most likely dead."

"Really, what happened to him?"

Miyu sighed as she looked down at the ground for a moment before looking back up. "You want the long or short version?"

"Uh, for now the short version."

"Alright, basically, four years ago, Todd and Daria were running a standard recon flight mission over the South Pole of Fichina. At the time, Todd was serving as Daria's mentor as she had just joined his unit. As to why they were doing a recon over the South Pole I have no idea."

"Forgive me for interrupting, but didn't you say that Daria looked up to Todd?"

"Oh yeah, Todd was Daria's idol and protector, he's also the one who trained her. To say that Daria looked up to Todd would be an understatement, she loved flying with him and serving under his command. Now that you understand that, back to the story." Miyu explained. "The recon mission was going smoothly until they came under attack by a rogue Venom squadron. They were outnumbered but put up a good fight, till Todd took a direct hit to protect Daria and as a result he crashed on the South Pole."

"Oh, that's horrible, did he die?"

"No one knows as his fighter was never found, not even a tracking beacon. The military looked for three months and found no trace of Todd. The South Pole is one heck of a large continent with terrain that's constantly snowed over. It's like finding a needle in a hay stack. The search was eventually called off though Daria continued to search for three more months till she was forced to give up. To this day she still blames herself for what happened."

Krystal tried to remain calm but after hearing the story she couldn't help but feel sorry for Fox and especially for Daria. "So, Todd is considered to be dead?"

"Officially, he's listed as MIA?"

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, I forget that you're not from Corneria." Miyu replied with a slight smile before frowning again. "It means Missing In Action, basically that because he couldn't be found he can't be officially declared alive or dead. Though I'd say give the amount the time that transpired the odds aren't good."

"Huh, I guess that's true, I can only imagine how Daria must feel."

"She's gotten over it mostly but she still feels responsible. Hasn't affected her performance of personality though. You'll meet her eventually if you stick with Fox long enough, and I'm certain you'll like her."

"I'm sure I will." Krystal responded with a laugh. "As much as I'm enjoying our conversation I'd prefer to get settled in and get some rest."

Krystal didn't like saying that but she knew it was time to end the conversation. She and Miyu had been talking for what felt like forever, and it didn't help that she was dead tired. She already got the information she wanted to know for the time being anyway, she could find out later, after she got some real sleep.

Miyu nodded. "Well, I'll leave you alone it get situated. It'll take a while for us to get to our destination."

"Alright, I'll be here if you need me." Krystal replied with a smile and winked at Miyu. "Don't be a stranger cutie."

Krystal heard Miyu purr again as she stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door, leaving her alone. She kept a mental link to the Lynx for a few seconds as she walked away, seeing things that wouldn't be appropriate for kids. Krystal couldn't help but laugh as she made her way to the bed.

 _Okay, I might've taken things a little too far with that last comment._ Krystal thought as she stood alone in the room.

Krystal sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed. It was then she realized how drastically her life had changed and the uncertainty of her future with the mercenaries she was living with, let alone having a curvy feline and a hunk of a fox wanting her. She was well aware that things would most likely not be easy for her, especially if she has to prove herself to Fox and the rest of the team if they were going to let her be a part of them, and not see her as a vixen using her gorgeous looks to get on the team. Despite knowing the difficulties that laid ahead she was excited to say the least, she was happy to have a place to live for the time being, and living the life of a mercenary seemed like fun. Plus, Krystal hated to admit it, but she liked being close to Fox, even though there was another vixen she had to compete against.

Krystal smiled, stood up, and began unhooking her bra so she could change clothes, hoping that there were no hidden. cameras in the room. _Well, I guess this is my life for the time being, can't say I'm disappointed. I can't help but feel excited for what the future holds. Who knows, maybe I'll end up losing my virginity too Fox._

* * *

Fichina, South Pole

Todd McCloud pressed his body tight against the snow covered rock, breathing slowly as he used the snow storm to his advantage. His thick fur coat, made from the large animals that inhabited the South Pole kept him warm, allowing him to ignore the code to concentrate on his purpose. Having been stuck on Fichina for so long the cold no longer had much effect on him, going as far as to thicken his fur and turn it to a white-ish grey. But, being as far as he was from his cave that night even he was starting to get a little tired. Fortunately his destination was just on top of the ridge above him, barely a ten foot climb. Todd took a deep breath and began the slow climb up to the top, eventually making it to the top and collapsing immediately on his belly before proceeding forward.

 _Ok, let's see what the morons are up to tonight._ Todd thought as he reached for the binocular in his coat pocket.

Todd crawled up to the edge of the rocks and peered down at the spectacle hidden from the rest of the Lylat System that say before him: a small Venom rebellion base built into the snow covered mountains. The base was pretty small from what Todd had seen in the past during his time with the Cornerian military. From his position he could make out a perimeter fence lined with guard posts and bunkers, two barracks, one for the soldiers and the other what Todd assumed was for scientists or other personnel, a headquarters building, two small research labs, at least he guessed they were, and a hangar with a nearby landing pad for small space craft. Due to the size of the base, and the lengths they'd gone to conceal it, Todd guessed it was either a Venom safe house or a secret laboratory. Either way, it didn't really matter to him as both were bad news not just for him but for Corneria and the rest of the Lylat System. What concerned him were the lengths the Venomians went to for concealing their activities. None of the buildings had windows and what activity he saw was limited to guards roaming outside, beyond the occasional scientist, at least Todd assumed they were, when they stepped outside to smoke.

As Todd observed the activity below, what little there was thanks to it being night time, his mind drifted back to the time he'd been stuck on Fichina. After being stuck on Fichina for so long, Todd was finally glad to get to see something and potentially a way off. When he was shot down he considered himself lucky to be alive, until he saw that the ship's radio and transponder were both damaged in the crash. The only reason he survived was the state of the art pilot suit he was wearing at the time that Fara Phoenix had designed for a pilot to survive almost all crashes. Without any way to get off he was stuck to surviving ever since then. It'd been a long, hard and often boring few years with nothing to do besides survive.

Todd was snapped out of his train of thought by the sounds of screaming reptiles below him. He peered through the binoculars to see the Venom base suddenly bustling with activity. Soldiers were running around like crazy as the officers commanded them to different positions in a manner that confused Todd. After observing the base for nearly six months he'd never seen it that busy, or anything cause them to respond in such a manner.

 _What in the world are those dinosaur brains up to?_ Todd thought as continued to peer through his binoculars, only to hear the sound of a shuttle approaching from above.

Todd looked up at the sky for a small, personal transport shuttle to appear moments later through the clouds. He watched closely with great interest as the shuttle flew down quickly towards the Venom base. As it got closer, Todd could make out the Venom symbols on the side, telling him it was not a friendly to him. He guessed that the shuttle was the reason for the sudden increase in activity and immediately became curious to find out way.

 _Huh, must be someone important._ Todd thought as he watched the shuttle land.

Within moments the shuttle's engines shut off and the Venomians guard formed two platoon lines in front of the doors. A small group of high ranking soldiers slowly approached the shuttle door telling Todd that whoever landed was someone of high importance. He wished he had a sniper rifle to take out whoever it was but not having one he decided to settle with at least find out who it was and finding a way to kill them later.

Todd watched anxiously as the shuttle door opened only to gasp when he saw who stepped out. _No, it can't be_.

Through his binoculars, Todd spotted a large, middle-aged ape stepping out of the shuttle that he recognized immediately. Mistaking the ape was impossible for him, not after everything that he'd done to him. Seeing him sent waves of fear, shock, and anger traveling quickly through his body as he tried to look through the binoculars at the sight before him. It took everything he had to hold the binoculars steady.

 _Andross, how is that possible?_ Todd thought as he lowered his binoculars.

Once the shock wore off Todd realized he needed to at least observe the situation. He picked up the binoculars and peered through them intently at the event unfolding before him. Andross stepped out of the shuttle and approached the Venom guard standing before him. Once Andross was close enough the Venomians bowed to him and he returned it with a nod. Then one of the large Venomians approached Andross who Todd recognized as Colonel Felix, the base commander.

"Ah master, it's good to be in your presence again. How did the Saurian experiment go?" Colonel Felix said as he bowed to Andross.

"Better than all of my expectations, MUCH better than what happened on Cerinia."

"If I may speak freely sir, just about anything would be a better result than the Cerinian experiment."

"Of course, since the experiment caused a temple to explode and killed hundreds, if not thousands of people, I'd say the results were much better. Though it did have results that played into the Saurian experiment. " Andross replied. "Though Sauria was almost destroyed the experiment could still be considered a success."

"Ah, so the clone managed to succeed complete transformation?"

"Yes, the Krazoa Spirits there were exactly what the clone needed.

 _Sauria, clone, what the heck is going on out there._ Todd thought as he gripped the binoculars tighter.

"And, if I may ask, how did the clone fair?" Colonel Felix asked.

"The Krazoa Spirits managed to not only need sustain the clone back to my Lylat Wars form but also increase its power. It was a complete success, except for one slight problem."

"Did the dinosaurs there step in and destroy it?"

"No, Star Fox was there." Andross answered.

"What, why would they be at Sauria?"

"Apparently, the process drew the attention of the Cornerian military and they hired Star Fox to investigate. I manipulated Fox McCloud to power up the clone with him thinking he'd save the planet and a pretty vixen, long story short, it worked. But, the clone was destroyed before it got too far away."

"Huh, I would call that a success and a failure. At least now we know that there is a way for you to achieve your . . . head form again." Felix replied. "But, we also know that we can't do anything any time soon. That clone no doubt caused a lot of attention, no doubt Corneria is questioning everything about their defenses right now. If we tried anything now we'd get the attention we don't want."

"I agree, I send out an order to all Venomians loyal to us, tell them to stop all activities until I give the order."

"Yes sir."

Todd smirked to himself as Andross and Colonel Felix continued to speak. _Huh, baby brother is still running Star Fox, I figured he would've retired by now._

Todd continued to observe, hoping to learn more, though from Andross and Colonel Felix's motions it didn't look like he'd learn more. They were moving towards the nearest building, not saying much other than Felix explaining recent events to Andross, nothing Todd didn't already know.

Andross and Felix stopped just by the door where Felix opened it. "Tell me, Colonel, what is the likelihood if Corneria attacked we'd survive?"

"Unfortunately sir, not good, if Corneria launched a full scale assault we'd be wiped out quickly. Due to your order to remain as inconspicuous as possible, I cannot do more to improve our defenses without drawing attention to ourselves."

Andross sighed as he looked down at the snow, appearing to think. "As much as I hate to hear it, this base is supposed to be just a safe house, a place we can come to without alerting anyone. So, the order still stands."

"As you wish sir."

Once the door closed Todd began slowly sneaking away, he'd heard all he needed to. The binoculars could not see through solid metal so he was unable to see what they were working on. Even though he'd been observing them from months he still had no idea what they were working on. With Andross there it didn't really matter, whatever that ape worked on was bad news and informing someone. He stood up and slowly moved back into the cover of the woods, leaving no indication he was there other than slight indents in the snow and the coming storm would cover those up quickly.

X

Hidden cave

Todd smiled as an all too familiar cave came into view through the snow storm. Rarely was he ever that glad to see the cave he called home for so long as he had. After he saw Andross, he ran with a sense of urgency entire way back, and that was nearly five miles through mountainous, snow covered terrain. Thankfully, his adrenaline was heavily pumping so the sprint was easier than it normally would've been, he just wished it was under better circumstances. Seeing the cave made Todd relax slightly as he knew who was waiting for him inside, allowing him to stop and catch and catch his breath.

 _As late as it is Felicity should still be asleep._ Todd thought as he entered the cave.

The entrance itself was pretty well hidden, being little more than small, five-foot-tall opening that appeared to be nothing more than a tiny hole in the side of a cliff to anyone walking past. Though entering it would at first give that impression there was a turn well hidden behind a group of rocks, which lead to a tunnel. The tunnel was high enough for Todd to walk through without crouching, and went around fifty feet, leading to a large chamber that he'd called home for longer than he cared to admit.

Todd turned the corner and stopped to see a lovely black panther sitting by a fire with her back to him. He could see her stirring a pot and smell something delicious coming from it. However, his attention was on the panther cooking the meal. As Todd approached her, he couldn't help but taking in her beauty, more specifically her well defined, voluptuous curves that were covered by her worn out fur coat. He could make out her curves, both in a perfect ratio, despite the thick coat she was wearing. Her black fur seemed to glisten in the light of the fire, giving her a unique glow. As Todd slowly made his way around the panther he took in her beautiful face, at least to him it was, her gorgeous blue eyes, and long, dark red hair that flowed all the way down her back. Even though Todd had known the panther for years his heart still skipped a beat every time he laid eyes on her.

Todd slowly made his way to then panther, approaching her from behind, gently laid his hands on the her shoulders, leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Good morning, Cara."

The panther turned her head and looked up at Todd, gently grabbing his hand and leaning up so she could kiss his chin. "Good morning my handsome mate. Nice to see that you made it back in time for breakfast for once."

"Of course, I had to make it back in time, today's a special day."

"Oh, and what day is that, my love?"

"Very special, it's our anniversary."

"Really, which one do you mean? The day you found me crashed in the snow or the night we confessed our loved and mated?" The panther answered with a playful smile.

Todd kneeled down behind the panther, wrapped his arm around her waist, taking a firm grip of her hip as his other hand wrapped around the other side further up her abdomen, gently grasping her ample breast, and he softly pulled her back against his chest. "The night we mated, by far the best night of my life."

The panther giggled as she pressed her back against Todd's chest and looked up at him with a shocked expression. She squirmed a little under his firm grip, appearing to tease him a little as she leaned her head back and playfully bit the underside of his chin. Her hands slowly slid up his wrists before gripping his own as he held her close. Her left hand gripped his hand that he was using to hold her hip, causing him to grip her harder. Her right hand gripped Todd's hand that was holding her breast, making him loosen his grip but kept firm enough to tease her. As Todd held her close he could feel her purring against him, making it even harder to resist the urge for rough foreplay.

"Hm, I know I've said this before but you definitely know how to hold me." The panther whispered.

"Of course, after all this time together, I know all your weaknesses, Cara."

After spending nearly four years trapped together Todd knew essentially everything about the panther Cara Caruso cradled against him. Todd had been on Fichina for around six months when Cara crash landed near his cave home, her ship had taken damage from an asteroid causing her to crash. Todd was on the scene immediately and took Cara, as she was unconscious, to his cave where he nursed her back to health and informed her of their "shipwrecked" situation, and she didn't respond well to it. What made things worse was Cara's hatred towards men, being a beautiful, voluptuous feline, she'd been hounded by perverts her entire life trying to bed her or at least get a feel, always turning them down. Cara thought that Todd was that way at first, though he eventually proved her wrong, treating her with nothing but respect. They worked together to survive with Cara growing to like Todd and eventually falling for him, and he for her but neither of them were willing to admit it. Cara was reluctant to give her heart Todd, worried that he'd treat her differently if she acted on her feelings. After a year, Cara decided she'd make the first leap by lying naked in Todd's bed and waiting for him to come back. When he did they mated passionately with Todd taking Cara's virginity and her loving every second of it, followed by him saying he loved her afterwards and her returning the love. Since then they'd been a mated pair, screwing every chance they got, and Todd promised Cara he'd marry her when they got off Fichina.

Cara suddenly signed grabbed Todd's hands and pried them off her breast and hip before turning around to face him. "As much as I'd love for you to mount me we don't have the time. Breakfast will be ready soon and Felicity will wake up any time."

"Alight, we can always continue this later." Todd replied then planted a teasing kiss on Cara's nose. "So, how is the little one doing?"

"Still asleep, she's hardly made a sound since you left."

"She must be pretty wiped out. I'll go check on her."

Cara nodded and took her seat by the fire to continue cooking as Todd proceeded to the rear of the cave. He walked past his and Cara's bed to the crib positioned beside it. Todd stood at the edge of the crib and looked down at the three-year-old, red fox/panther hybrid, female cub sound asleep. She had the body of a feline with the black fur of a panther with a slight, reddish tint. Her claws were extendable just like Cara's as were her blue eyes. The hybrid's tail resembled Todd's with a white tip. Her head was shaped more like a fox but with feline teeth. Her hair was dark brown just like her mother's. Her fur was still soft due to her still being a young cub.

 _Felicity, how can something so cute be born from two completely different species._ Todd thought as he gently laid a hand on the cub's shoulder but didn't wake her.

To Todd, Felicity's existence could be considered a miracle, let alone her perfect health. While hybridization was possible between similar species, dogs breeding with wolves and amphibious reptiles like crocodiles reproducing with land reptiles like iguanas, it was considered an impossibility for two completely different species to reproduce. It was scientifically proved than two completely different species, like a crocodile having a fox as a mate, could not reproduce, mostly due to their reproduction systems being too different. It wasn't completely impossible for a unique relationship, a canine and a feline, to reproduce but it certainly was no easy task, a couple like that could mate every night their entire lives and the possibility they'd conceive a child would be slim to none. Even if they did the child was almost always plagued with health issues.

For nearly Todd and Cara mated freely without concern till one morning Cara woke up sick and quickly after that discovered she was pregnant. To say they were worried would be an understatement. Besides worrying about health issues they were also concerned about having a child on the isolated south pole of Fichina. It was an extremely dangerous place to have a baby, let alone raise it. They were worried they'd lose it, even after Felicity was born and saw that she was perfectly healthy. Their doubts were all but erased as Felicity grew and became accustomed to her living environment, but she was becoming feral, which was to be expected. Currently, they were just glad she was perfectly healthy and habit.

Todd leaned down and kissed Felicity on the forehead, causing her to stir but not wake up. "I love you little one, we will get you off this frozen wasteland someday."

Todd turned around and proceeded back to the main chamber to see Cara finishing up breakfast. "The little fuzz ball is getting bigger every day."

"I know, soon she'll be demanding you teach her how to hunt and fight."

Todd smirked as he sat down on the log beside Cara who leaned slightly against him. She let out a soft purr as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, not looking up from the cooking pot.

"So, how did your scouting go?" Cara asked.

"Well, I hate to say it but I think our situation just got MUCH worse."

"Oh, and how is that?"

"Uh, well, I was observing the Venom base and not much was going on when a shuttle arrived. I swear my spine shivered when I saw who was on board." Todd replied.

"Huh, I suppose you're going to tell me it was Andross you saw." Cara said in a very sarcastic tone.

"That's exactly who it was."

Cara turned her head to look at Todd and he saw her look go from sarcastic to disbelief in an instant. She gasped and was so shocked from Todd's confirmation look that she dropped the spatula she was using into the pot.

"Are . . . are you sure about that?" Cara stuttered.

"Yes, I saw him with my own eyes."

"But, how . . . .how could that mad man still be alive? I thought your little brother killed him?"

"So did I, though that really doesn't matter. What does is that he's here and we need to know what we are going so to do about it." Todd answered as he looked down at the pot.

"That's pretty obvious, the very fact that Andross is alive is a danger to Corneria. But what can we do about it? We're stuck here with no way to get the word out."

Todd stood up and leaned against the wall letting out a loud sigh. "We need to warn Corneria or my brother of what's going on here?"

"Uh, Todd, in case you haven't noticed, we're stuck on Fichina without a working radio or ship. How do you propose we do that?"

"Simple, we steal one of their ships and escape."

Cara smirked. "Be serious Todd."

"I am being serious. We still one of their shuttles and we can finally get off this world and warn everyone."

Todd turned and looked down at Cara to see her having serious doubts. It was hardly the first time he'd suggested something like that so she had good reasons to doubt him. Hearing that Andross was involved seemed to make her even more nervous as she knew what would happened if they failed.

After a few moments, Cara looked up at Todd and said. "I got to ask, how to you plan on stealing a shuttle for us? The Venomians have beefed up the security since you started taking out their patrols. Getting through their fence and actually to the hangar will be no easy task for the three of us."

"I know, but you're partially right, they've only increased patrols outside of the base, they're not worried about something breaking in. They think it's just some animal attacking their patrols, so it hasn't really affected their base security, just their outside patrols. Besides, the base actually isn't well defended, if we're careful we should have no problem getting to the hangar."

"Huh, sounds harder than you're making it out to be."

"Yeah, but I know we can do it. What choice to do we really have, not just for Corneria but our daughter as well."

Todd hated himself for pulling the "daughter" card but he didn't really see any other choices to convince Cara. She was even more stubborn than he was and he knew that she was nervous about the whole suggestion. If Todd was being honest he was too, but looking at Felicity sleeping in her crib was all the motivation he needed.

"You think we can actually get off the planet?" Cara softly asked.

Todd looked down at the fire, unsure how certain he was to answer Cara's question. After everything they've been through, all the attempts they've made, escape from Fichina seemed that it would be impossible, even he was starting to have doubts that they'd ever succeed. With Andross having arrived his hopes was all but gone, that Ape was relentless and if he caught them it'd be over. But, Todd knew that if Andross succeeded in whatever it was he was doing that it'd spell certain doom for the Lylat System, his sense of duty and pride couldn't allow that, he had to be stopped at all cost. However, the was well aware that cost could easily be his mate and daughter, one wrong move and he'd lose not only his life but them as well, that was something Todd could not give up, even for the safely of Corneria.

It wasn't till Todd turned his head and looked at Felicity that something changed. Seeing her sound asleep awakened more than brought a smile to his face but warmed his heart as well. She was truly innocent, along with a little feral but that was to be expected since she had spent her entire life in the frozen wasteland. To Todd she deserved better than the life she had, a life that she would never get on Fichina, one that he was determined make sure she head, no matter the risk.

Todd looked up from the fire with a determined smile. "Tonight, we're finally getting off this rock."

X

Venom base

Cara held her breath as she sat behind the snow bank holding a sleeping Felicity close to her. She had a reason to be nervous with the Venom military base not even a hundred feet away from her. Cara had been on Macbeth when the Venomians attacked and nearly destroyed everything, she had a good reason to be afraid of them. Being so close brought back the horrible memories, making her nervous not just for her safety but also Todd and Felicity's. If it hadn't been for Todd constantly assuring her that they'd be fine and were leaving the planet she wouldn't be so close to the base.

That day, they'd spent most of their time getting ready for the long journey home, gathering supplies and making plans. They had even slept most of the afternoon so they'd be awake for the night's activity. Todd planned for them to infiltrate the base at night, under cover of the nightly blizzard, so they could easily sneak in. Cara went as far as to feed Felicity a large meal with sleeping pills so that she'd be asleep during their infiltration, making it easier on them. So far, things had gone as planned, Todd had left Cara and Felicity hiding in the snow bank while he scouted, all she could do was wait.

As Cara held Felicity she couldn't help but feel nervous more than she was excited. After being stuck on Fichina for four years she was certainly cautious to excited to leave. She and Todd had tried numerous ways to escape only to fail every time. Due to that, Cara didn't want to put all of her hope into the possibility of escape only to fail. Being stuck on the planet with Andross only made it worse.

As worry filled Cara's mind she looked down at Felicity who remained asleep with a smile on face. The little hybrid kit/cub had no worry or concern in her mind, at least none that she spoke up. Cara knew that was mostly because being raised in the desolate, frozen wasteland of Fichina Felicity was nearly feral. If she remained on Fichina there was no future for her other than to try to survive and die a pointless life. Felicity deserved better than that and Cara was going to make sure that she got it.

 _No, I need to be strong, not just for myself, but for her._ Cara thought as she looked down at Felicity.

Felicity stirred in Cara's arms but didn't wake up. Watching her daughter caused any doubt she had to fade away till only hope remained.

"Sorry to keep you two waiting." A voice whispered from behind Cara causing her to jump and drew her knife.

Todd stepped back, barely avoiding Cara's knife. "Dang it Todd, I told you not to do that."

"I know but we are sneaking into a Venom military base, I got to be stealthy."

"Yeah, yeah, just try to be more careful if you don't want to get cut." Cara replied sarcastically, getting a laugh from Todd. "So, what is the situation?"

"Well, long story short, I found a shuttle we can steal but we only have a short window to make it. We need to there now if we are to make it."

"You sure, what if we get caught?"

"We won't, trust me."

Cara eventually nodded. "Okay, let's get going before the little one wakes up."

Todd leapt over the bank and Cara didn't hesitate to follow him. Clutching Felicity tight against her chest, she ran as quietly but quickly as she could behind Todd. Every stride seemed to increase her concern, that at any moment a guard would see them and open fire, or that they'd be shot down after they lifted off. But following Todd, the fox she trusted and loved more than life itself, those concerns had very little effect over her. As long as she as with him she'd go to another universe if necessary. It wasn't till they made it to the hangar wall that Cara noticed something unusual, she had not spotted one guard since they started running.

"What did you do with the guards?" Cara whispered.

"You don't want to know. Let's just say they're not your problem anymore."

Cara nodded that she understood, it was all she needed to know. She cradled Felicity tight against her chest as Todd opened the hangar door and she followed him inside. The hangar was much larger than she predicted and filled with all kinds of space crafts. Any one of them would be good enough to get them at least get them off the planet. Cara felt her spirits lift as she saw all the crafts, she finally had hope that they'd get off the planet safely and be able to live their lives. She quickly recovered herself and followed Todd across the hangar.

As they made their way quietly across the hangar Todd pointed to a small shuttle seated nearby. "That'll be your ride home."

Cara nearly froze at the sight of the shuttle, it was barely big enough for the three of them to fly on. It looked like a small bus, making Cara doubt that they'd be able to make it to a safe planet, let alone Corneria on it. As much as she doubted it Cara had learned not to doubt Todd's judgment, he was usually right about pretty much everything.

"Are you sure this thing can make it to Corneria, it looks older than we are?" Cara whispered.

"Oh yeah, that's a interstellar shuttle, the small design allows it to conserve fuel and travel clear across the system on a single fuel cell. They're built pretty sturdy, able to handle hits from small asteroids. Trust me, we'll make it."

"If you say so."

Todd nodded to Cara before turning around and led her to the shuttle. He opened the door and extended his hand that she took to help her inside. Cara was slightly impressed by the inside of the shuttle. The cockpit was a single seat and the controls looked simple enough that Cara figured it out pretty quickly. The rest of the shuttle was a small living space with a queen sized bed and a fold out bed hanging on the wall with a small kitchen and bathroom. Cara checked the fridge to see that it was full of food.

"Well, at least we got plenty of food and drinks for the journey."

"They always keep these shuttles stocked in case of emergency. Getting to Corneria shouldn't be a problem."

"Definitely looks like it." Cara relied as she felt Felicity stir in her arms. "I'll buckle her up before takeoff."

As Cara buckled Felicity into her seat she woke up with a yawn, bringing a smile to her face give how cute she looked. It took a moment for Felicity to fully wake up and get a good look around her. Having spent her entire three years of life living in a cave, being in a shuttle seemed to be a shock to her as she started fidgeting nervously.

"What is this place mommy?" Felicity asked in a scared voice.

"This is a shuttle, Felicity, we're finally getting off this planet and heading home."

"Really, we're heading to that place called Corneria?" Felicity squealed as her mood suddenly changed.

Todd kneels down beside Felicity. "Yes, you're finally going to meet your uncles Fox, Samuel, and Nathaniel, and your aunts Daria and Sasha and grandma Shelby."

Cara couldn't help but laugh as Felicity seemed to light up with joy. She'd only heard Todd and Cara talk about their family but probably thought that she'd never get to meet them. Even Cara had to admit she believed that Felicity would never get the opportunity.

Felicity's expression suddenly changed to concern. "What . . . what if something goes wrong and we don't make it."

"Don't worry sweetie, you'll be fine, I promise." Todd replied then kissed Felicity on the forehead causing her to smile. "I've never let you done before."

Todd motioned to Cara for her to follow him and he led her to the cockpit. He began giving her detailed instructions on the craft, more specifically on how to fly it. Having some flying experience Cara understood it very quickly but at the same time became a little suspicious as to why Todd was doing such a thing before they took off. She figured he'd fly at takeoff and wait till they were in space to give her instructions.

"What about turrets, once we take off they're likely to start shooting at us?" Cara asked.

"They won't, I'll make sure of that. I haven't disabled them yet so you're going to have to wait a bit for me to work my magic. Give me twenty minutes to deal with them then get out of here as fast as you can."

"Wait, you're not coming with us?" Cara blurted out.

Todd shook his head. "I can't, I have to take out the turrets and once that's done they'll figure out very quickly that something is wrong. There won't be time for me to make it back to you. Plus, I have to make sure that Andross stays here long enough for the Cornerian military to come and take him out."

"But . . . But that is not what we talked about. I can't leave you here to die Todd. You've been here too long, let someone else worry about it."

"I can't, as soon as you get away they'll figure out what happened very quickly and when that happens they'll realize what's coming and flee. Andross cannot be alone to escape."

Anger and fear filled Cara's heart as she looked at her mate with eyes full of tears. She was furious that Todd was choosing to stay, felt like he was abandoning them to fulfill an old rage. But she quickly realized that in his heart, Todd was still a Cornerian SpecOps soldier, he was doing more than his duty, and his actions were possibly saving the Lylat System from unthinkable destruction.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Hun?" Cara asked.

"No, I do NOT want to stay. I want nothing more than to go with my two lovely ladies. But, as long as Andross is here I cannot go. Don't worry about me, I'll survive, I always do. You just focus on getting back to Corneria and be sure to tell the military what is going on here."

"Okay, I'll try, I have to be strong for both of us. I will not leave you here long I promise."

"No, do or do not, there is no try." Todd said and he gently stroked Cara's cheek. "You are my rock, you are my strength."

"I know, and you are mine." Cara said, trying hard not to cry. "Please, be safe out there. I'll never forgive you if you die out here."

Todd leaned in and kissed Cara on the cheek. "You won't loss me my love. I swear, I will get off the planet and find you."

"I know you will, there's no doubt in my mind. Now, get out there before I make you come with us."

Todd smirked then planted a quick kiss on Cara's lips, causing her heart to jump, even after all their time together a kiss from him still caused that. She wanted more but knew she couldn't as Todd parted away. Her eyes followed Todd as he made his way to Felicity and kissed her one last time on the cheek before he headed for the door. Cara wanted desperately to jump out of her seat, wrap her arms around Todd as he stepped out of the shuttle, and hold him close so he wouldn't go but somehow restrained herself. She knew he had to do it not just for her and Felicity but Corneria as well. It was one of the many things that made her fall in love with him.

 _Please stay alive my love._ Cara thought as the shuttle door closed.

X

 _Damn that was close._ Todd thought as he took cover behind a rock.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, and not hearing incoming laser fire, he leaned back against the rock clutching his hatchet and knife tightly. He could hear the Venom soldiers in the distance shouting at each other. From what Todd could make out they were shouting at each other over losing sight of him, trying to shift to blame and that made Todd smirk a little bit.

 _Venomians, they can be lethal but at the same time they don't make a very effective army when they can't work together._

Todd took the short moment he had to gather his thoughts, being glad he at least had some time to catch his breath after having been chased clear across the South Pole forest. Cara and Felicity's take off drew a lot more attention than Todd thought it would. He had to charge a Venom Colonel and remove his head to get the soldier's attention from shooting at his family's escape pod. That got him the attention of the few hundred soldiers on the base. Thankfully, Todd was able to use the blizzard to escape for a bit till a platoon caught his trail and began chasing him. They managed to catch sight of him long enough to fire but he avoided them long enough to recently ditch them. Though from the sounds coming from behind his cover that could quickly change.

 _Might as well see where those idiots are._

Todd peaked out from behind the rock only to quickly duck back when he saw what was on the other side. Even though all he got was a quick look it was enough for him to count twenty five well-armed Venom soldiers and possibly more in the area near him. They hadn't spotted him yet or they would've been firing at the tree. He could tell from hearing their footsteps in the snow that they were starting to fan out and headed in his direction. Any moment one could spot him and he was well aware that even he couldn't survive that onslaught, they'd have him surrounded in seconds. Quickly looking at his escape options, Todd notices a group of rocks he could take cover behind with the forest right behind them. If Todd could make it to the rocks he could slip into the forest and easily vanish with the blizzard covering his tracks. The only problem was the three soldier in his path that would have to be cut down if he was going to make it. He knew he'd have to be quick otherwise he'd mostly likely be killed before he made it, and seeing little no other option he decided to make a go for it.

Todd took a deep breath and jumped out of cover from behind the rock and whispered to the nearest soldier. "Hey lizard brains."

The soldier turned in Todd's direction just in time to see Todd's hatchet crashing towards him before his skull was split open. Todd quickly pulled his hatchet out of the soldiers head and rushed towards the nearest soldier who had turned around just as his friend collapse. The soldier raised his blaster as Todd approached but not quick enough to avoid taking a hatchet in the neck. A blood gargled scream came out of his mouth as Todd quickly withdrew his hatchet and continued his rush towards another soldier who had seen him by that time and fired. Todd used the soldier as a shield as he sprinted to the nearest tree and took cover as the soldier continued to fire, pinning him down.

"HE'S OVER HE GUYS." The soldier shouted as he turned his head in their direction.

Todd took advantage of soldier's mistake and rushed out of cover towards him. Before the soldier realized what had happened Todd swung his hatchet into the soldier's knee causing him to scream and drop to the ground. Todd quickly jumped up, using the momentum to carry his knife into the soldier's neck, cutting the jugular. The soldier tried to scream but only blood came out as Todd rushed towards the nearest tree for cover.

Todd nearly made it to the tree when a laser cut through his thigh. He collapsed and slid through the snow before coming to a stop at the bottom of a small knoll. The landing nearly knocked Todd out but thanks to the pain in his thig he was able to stay away. He looked down and saw that the laser had turned diagonally through his thigh, no doubt breaking through the bone and muscle as he saw the exit wound on the other side. He knew that the wound was severe if and could be life threatening if he didn't treat it immediately but the timing was not the best. Todd could hear the Venomians closing in and knew that they'd be on him in moments. Hearing the Venomians shout to each other Todd tried to stand but the pain caused him to collapse. He turned around to see the Venomians appear out of the blizzard and sprint towards him. None of them fired, apparently wanting to catch him alive. They surrounded him and aimed their guns, daring him to make a move.

"Well, well, if it isn't the infamous ghost." The Venom captain growled as he approached Todd with his squad close behind him.

Todd held back a growl as the Venom Captain approached him. "Sorry to disappoint you but it's no ghost that you lost a bunch of men to but a half crazy, feral fox."

"Oh no, it's the famous, loved believed dead Todd McCloud."

A slight smile crosses Todd's face. "Nice to know that I'm still famous. I got to know though, how did you know?"

"Who do you think fired the gun that shot you out of the sky? I was aiming for that other fighter flying with you when got in the way. I should thank you, thanks to that shot I got a major promotion."

Todd remained as calm as he could, trying not to let the Venom Captain get under his skin. There he was, finding himself face to face with the man that was the reason he had been stuck on Fichina for the past four years. Add on top of that the fact that his planned target was his sister Daria who was his flight partner on that mission. Todd wanted to rip the Venom Captains heart out but with the squad standing behind him that would certainly I cause his death.

Todd leaned back holding his injured hip. "So, what now, you going to take me back to your base and interrogate me?"

"Nope, that would be a bad idea on my part, the great Todd McCloud would no doubt escape. I'd be blamed and executed for it, so no, we're going to end this right now."

"Huh, and just how are you going to do that?"

The Venom Captain stood up and walked over to his men, ordering them to get into a firing line. Todd didn't need to be a genius to know that they were going to execute him via firing squad. In his condition all he could do was lie there and wait for inevitable death.

 _Cara, Felicity, I'm sorry but it doesn't look like I'll be able to keep my promise._ Todd thought as he looked down at the snow.

The Venom captain snorted loudly as he stepped aside as his men lined up. "On my command send this furry scum to hell."

The Venomians nodded as they raised their weapons and aimed at Todd and the captain shouted. "READY . . . . AIM . . . FIRE!"

Todd braced himself for death, hearing their weapons fires, knowing that he would be dead, but nothing happened. After a moment of feeling himself still alive, Todd opened his eyes only to gasp at the sight before him. Barely inches from his face the lasers had been stopped as if they were frozen in time. He remained still, frozen in fear and shock as the lasers remained still and the Venomians looked at the sight with the same stunned faces he had. The shock quickly passed as Todd began to reach for his weapon only for the Venomians to notice and raised their weapons to fire again. No sooner did they raise their weapons the frozen lasers suddenly flew back towards them, penetrating each of their skulls, killing them all instantly. Their bodies dropped on the spot, littering the ground in front of Todd, leaving him confused as to what just happened. He quickly realized that someone must've been being whatever just happened and began looking around only to look behind him and gasp when he saw a large, familiar female standing on the small knoll above smiling down at him.

"Lord Zathora." Todd whispered in awe and surprise.

Todd stared in shock as the large woman seemed to float down from the knoll and land in front of him as if it was nothing. She stood at least eight feet tall with a very athletic body. Judging from her appearance he always guessed that she was supposed to be a mix species since she had the body and fur of a feline but the long, muscular tail of a reptile that was covered in fur, and two long, curved horns sticking out of her head. Two long, sharp teeth like a saber tooth tiger stuck out of her mouth along with razor sharp claws. Her body was quite shapely in the right places but covered in an elegant white dress that revealed plenty of ample cleavage and splits on both sides clean up to her hips. To Todd she truly looked like an elegant but powerful creature with even the freezing snow not bothering her in the slightest.

Zathora looked down a Todd with a smile on her face. "You look like shit Todd."

Todd smirked and shook his head. "That tends to happen when you've been stranded on a frozen wasteland for as long as I have and get shot in the thigh."

"Hm, same old smartass I see."

"I learned it from you."

Zathora shook her head with a smile. "Yeah, you definitely did, I might've taught you a little too well."

"You did say I was your best student."

"My best mortal student, there's only so much a mortal can learn, but even you surprised me." Zathora replied then looks at Todd's leg. "I can't believe you let yourself get hurt to the point you need my help."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, it could've been worse, the laser could've shot me in the groin. Still, I appreciate the help."

"I know, thankfully it's an easy wound to heal, just look down and you'll see."

Todd looked down by saw that the wound on his thigh was gone, not even a mark remained. He realized Zathora had already healed him and he didn't even notice. Todd slowly stood up and didn't even feel the slightest pain in the process, as if the wound hadn't happened. Without that to worry about he could finally get some answers.

"So, why are you here? Are you getting me off this frozen wasteland?" Todd asked.

"I wish that was the case Todd, I really do, but no, I'm just here to save your ass."

"I figured otherwise you would've just teleported me, my mate and daughter to safety a LONG time ago."

"Yes, unfortunately, you have a purpose here that is essential to the safety of the Lylat System that hasn't been accomplished yet." Zathora replied with a sigh. "I'm sorry but you'll have to be here a little while longer. If it makes you feel better, Felicity and Cara will be safe, and you have my word on that."

"Thank you, that means a lot to me. So, what is my purpose here?"

"I think that should be obvious, to keep the Venomians and Andross here until Star Fox can show up."

"Really, Star Fox is still around?" Todd responded in a very surprised voice. "The way things were going for him I figured that he would've retired the team by now."

"No, the team is still operating, just needs some upgrades and something to do."

"Huh, that's pretty surprising. What about Fox and Fara, how are they doing?"

"I'd rather you wait till you see them again to find out, I don't want to spoil anything for you." Zathora answered with a slight smile.

"Alright, I'm not happy about it but I'll wait."

"Good, you'll find that it'll be worth the wait." Zathora replied. "So, you think you can last a little while longer down here?"

"Of course, though after that escape I think the Venomians will increase their patrols and try their best to find me. I'll have to keep a low profile for a while but I think I'll survive."

"Good, stay in the cave and you should be fine for a bit. Do not engage them unless it is absolutely necessary."

"I don't plan on engaging them, I have to survive, for my mate and daughter."

"I know, that'll get you through this time easier than anything. Keep them in your mind and you'll survive." Zathora replied, then laid a strong hand on Todd's shoulder. "Take care Todd, I'll be watching over you."

"You too, Lord Zathora."

Zathora nodded, turned around, and walked into the blizzard. Todd remained standing as he watched the blizzard surround her and within seconds she is no longer visible, leaving him alone. Not wanting to be out in the blizzard any longer, Todd turned in the direction of his cave and took up at a light jog in its direction.

 _I'll never understand that woman, but she has never been wrong before._ Todd thought as he jogged. _I hope that Cara and Felicity get picked up quick, for both their safety and what's happening down here._

* * *

Miyu has gotten Krystal situated onboard the Great Fox and she's aware of her possibilities with Fox, though that doesn't seem to concern her. Meanwhile on Fichina, Todd has discovered that Andross is still alive and that the one on Sauria was just a testing clone. Todd managed to get his mate and daughter off of Fichina and stayed behind to bid them time and get help to take out Andross. How long will Todd have to wait before help arrives and what will Star Fox be doing during that time?

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	11. Awkward Romance and Unusual Alliances

Here we go, the next chapter of Star Fox Annihilation, don't worry this chapter will be much shorter than the previous two. If anything this chapter will be short, so you're welcome. 

I think that this chapter may be a little fan service for Fox x Krystal fans, but it's nothing lemon-like. Nothing serious happens, so it's just a start. Most of the chapter is focused on Daria and it brings in two characters from a previous chapter. 

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 10: Awkward Romance and Unusual Allies

Great Fox

Fox let out a loud yawn as the movie ended and he switched off the TV. The movie had put him at ease after the last stressful, couple days, a relaxation time he definitely needed, with the vixen sound asleep in his lap. Looking down, he saw Vixy sleeping like an angel with her head against him. She fell asleep about halfway through the movie but Fox wanted to make sure she was truly asleep and she was too cute to disturb. After everything he'd been through recently, seeing his daughter smiling as she slept against him made Fox forget all about it.

 _Hard to believe that someone so small and cute could be such a troublesome fur ball._ Fox thought as he gently patted Vixy's head.

Fox was snapped out of his train of thought by the sound of the rec room door opening. He looked up to see Krystal standing in the doorway, wearing a tight, red tub that showed off her large breasts and short, black shorts. His heart skipped a beat seeing her looking so sexy, though he was sure she could make any outfit sexy. Fox hoped he didn't appear shocked to her, even though he was; all she did was stand there and smile at him.

"Fox, I figured I would find you two here." Krystal whispered with a smile.

"You were looking for me, did something happen?"

"No, just got done settling in so I decided to just go for a walk around the ship, try to familiarize myself with it. I thought you could show me around but I see you're . . . busy."

"I wouldn't say I'm that busy, just making sure she falls asleep.

"Well, it looks like you certainly achieved that." Krystal approached Fox and stood near the empty spot on the other side of him so she wouldn't be sitting on Vixy. "You mind if I sit here?"

"No, there's plenty of room, go ahead."

Krystal nodded then sat down on the couch right beside Fox, so close that their arms were touching. If he didn't know betted he'd swear that he was trying to sit on him. Her fur felt unusually soft as she pressed against him, even for a fox. Being so close to her made his heart race in a way that he'd only felt with Fara but even stronger. Fox didn't know if it was because Krystal was just so beautiful or for her uniqueness, either way he was just happy to have her seated next to him. Neither of them said a word at first, just looked at each other and Vixy as she slept. Krystal seemed to just take in the cuteness of the little vixen in as Fox observed her beauty again.

"She sure is cute." Krystal whispered to Fox, breaking the silence.

"I know, she gets it all from her mother."

"That's what all dads' say."

"Well it's the truth, if you knew Fara it'd be obvious Vixy takes after her." Fox replied with a short laugh as Krystal giggled. "But, yes, she is the light of my world."

"I can see that, for what it's worth, I think you're a great dad."

"Thanks, I try to be so that means a lot to me."

"I know, I never imagined she'd fall asleep this deep and quickly." Krystal said gently touching Vixy's ear which twitched at her action.

"That's just how she's built I guess. Vixy has energy that can run for hours at a time, but once she powers down she's out like a light. That's something she inherited from her mother."

"Ah, I'm guessing that's how Fara typically was in the bedroom?" Krystal replied only to gasp when she realized what she'd just blurted out in front of Vixy with the look on Fox's face confirming it. "Sorry, bad timing to ask that."

"Yeah, maybe a little inappropriate. Maybe we should talk about something else."

"I agree, a conversation best saved for later."

Fox nodded as he gently patted Vixy on the back who squirmed but remained asleep. "So, Krystal, how are you getting along on board the Great Fox?"

"Pretty good so far, though all I've done is getting dressed in Cornerian appropriate garb and move my stuff into my new room. Moving in was easier than I thought, the only other thing I have done is rest a little."

"I'm glad to hear it, and you look good in those clothes."

"I knew you would think that, I hate how tight they feel and how much fur they cover. We Cerinians prefer as little clothing as possible, most because our planet's heat. That's why we usually just wear the outfit I had in earlier or in rare cases just the loincloth." Krystal explained.

"Huh, from that description I wouldn't one surprised if your people walked around nude."

"That's actually more common on Cerinia than you think, though usually only mated couples do that, mostly because they mate so much clothes would just get in the way."

"Dang, Cerinia sounds like an interesting place." Fox said with a gasp.

"It is compared to Corneria. If I am with you guys for a while I will tell you anything you want to know."

"I'd appreciate that. I do have a question that is more curiosity than anything. Is what Miyu told me true? Can you really read minds?"

"I see word has gotten out already." Krystal responded with a smirk. "Yes, it's true, Cerinians are telepaths. I've been reading your mind this entire time."

"Oh boy, that's a horrifying thought."

"Not to me it isn't, though I'm from a world where everyone is a telepath so being around others that can't read my mind back is a little . . . well, unusual for me."

"I bet, though it's weirder for me having never been around a person that can read my mind." Fox replied back. "Just so we're clear, I'm sorry for anything disturbing or sexual you saw in my mind."

"Meh, it's no problem, I've sensed so much of it that I just ignore those thoughts. On Cerinia it's nothing unusual given everyone is a telepath so we know what we're all thinking, including sexual stuff. That's why Cerinians are an open race."

"What do you mean by open race?" Fox asked.

"Oh, well it means that Cerinians are often active sexually. It's not uncommon for a Cerinian to act upon sensing a sexual act towards them."

Fox looked down quickly at Vixy making sure she was still asleep. The last thing he wanted was for her to hear the talk he and Krystal were having and bring it up to Fara. Thankfully, she was still sound asleep on his lap.

"I think we may want to change the subject before she wakes up." Fox said, looking nervously at Krystal.

"No problem, we can discuss that later when Vixy's not around."

The smile on formed on Krystal's face sent shivers down Fox's spine and made him feel a warm sensation he hadn't felt since the last time he and Fara mated. He could feel the urge to pounce on her rising but fought it back, knowing he couldn't with Vixy sleeping on him, let alone the fact that he wouldn't feel right mating with a girl he just met. It took a moment for him to get the urge under control and look at the gorgeous vixen seated next to him without thinking dirty thoughts. It didn't help that the remembered she could read his mind and definitely saw what he was thinking, the look on her seemed to tell him that she didn't mind. Fox knew he had to pop a different question before things took a drastic turn.

"Alright, Krystal, I got a question have to ask, and feel free to say no if you don't want to answer it. Why did you leave your home world?"

Fox noticed Krystal suddenly look sad as she leaned her head back. "It's a pretty long story, but it's because of Andross."

"Really, Andross was on your world too?"

"Unfortunately, yes he was. You see, Andross came to our world for the same reason he went to Sauria."

"Ah, does your home world have a similar energy?" Fox asked as Vixy squirmed in his lap.

"Pretty close, Cerinia and Sauria emit the same kind of spiritual energy and but Cerinia's is more powerful and just has more of it. The main difference is that Cerinia's energy is more open where we all use it to some degree. Sauria's energy is more controlled and sealed. I could explain more but it'd take it a while."

"Huh, I'll just take your word on it. So is that why Andross went to Cerinia, the same reason he was at Sauria?"

"I think so, though he probably came to Cerinia first to test himself and because it was far enough away from the Lylat System that he could conduct his tests without being detected." Krystal guessed, looking up at the ceiling seemingly deep in thought. "Our energy source is easier to access than Sauria's so it wasn't too difficult for Andross to attempt his revival."

"Let me guess, though your planet's energy is more accessible than Sauria's it's not used to such a withdraw."

"Huh, you're smarter than you look, Fox." Krystal joked getting a laugh from Fox. "Yes, that is what happened, though the amount of energy he withdrew was so much it's a miracle the result wasn't worst, even though it was still pretty bad."

"Did the planet start coming apart like Sauria?"

"No, we got better control of our energy than that. But, it did start earthquakes that seemed to rock the entire planet. My village was closest to the event so it was hit pretty hard. The earthquakes nearly collapsed the entire village, dozens of people died in the process, including my parents."

Fox looked closely and noticed a small tear in Krystal's eye. It didn't surprise him, to say that she'd had a rough time recently would be an understatement. She'd had lost her parents and a good number of her friends as well been stuck inside a crystal. It was then that Fox realized they shared a cruel commonality: all of their parents had been killed by Andross. The thought made Fox's blood boil and cool at the same time when he remembered that Andross was dead.

Fox laid a hand on Krystal's shoulder to comfort her. "It's okay, Krystal, you don't have to keep going if you don't want to. I know how it feels to lose both parents."

"To the same man, remember I can read your mind."

"I know, it's sucks we have that in common."

"Yeah, it does." Krystal said with a loud mumble. "Anyway, Andross's attempt to revive himself on Cerinia left us with our large number of dead and me full of rage. While the elders scrambled to figure out what to do they ordered everyone to stay put and not pursue Andross who had gotten away. That didn't sit well with me so I stole one of our small shuttles and went after him."

"Huh, I bet the elders didn't take that very well."

"I honestly don't know, haven't spoken to them or anyone on Cerinia since then. I imagine none of them are happy about it, though it might help that Andross is dead."

"For your sake I hope so." Fox replied. "So, can you go back to Cerinia?"

"Yes, I didn't break any laws so I'm fully able to return whenever I want, but considering the manner I left it'd probably be best if I wait a while before returning."

"Ah, you want things to cool down first before you do?"

"That'd be best, just to be on the safe side." Krystal replied.

"In that case, you're welcome to stay with us until then."

"I know, you've made that pretty clear. I am more than thankfully for your hospitality. Give me time and I'll find some way to repay you."

"Take all the time you need, you're my guest after all." Fox said, gently patting Krystal on the shoulder. "We got plenty of time now that Andross is gone for good this time."

"You sure about that, from what I've picked up this isn't the first time he's died."

"You're not wrong, this would make the fourth time he's died, no six times if I remember correctly." Fox sighed as he leaned back. "The first time was his original self shortly before the Lylat Wars started, Fara helped me kill me. Turns out he made two clones of himself and they attacked Papetoon not long afterwards. One of them killed the other out of frustration, so that's the second. The other escaped and is the one who started the Lylat Wars. Star Fox led an attack on Venom and I destroyed him, though turns out that was a fake, so three. Fourth was us relaunching the attack barely a week later and us actually destroying him. Four years later, turns out a rogue Cornerian officer was creating a clone of Andross and we destroyed him again, that's five. Today makes six and hopefully the last."

"Wow, that all sounds pretty complicated. Sounds to me like you don't think this was the last time."

"Looking at history you can't blame me for doubting. But I like our chances that this time he's really dead."

"That's not exactly making me comfortable." Krystal replied then leaned her head on Fox's shoulder. "But, even though we haven't know each other more than a few hours I trust you. And I just want to say thank you for defeating him."

Krystal suddenly leaned into Fox, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly. The hug caught him off guard and all he could do as hug her back and smiled as she hugged him only to look down and see what mere inches from his muzzle was. Right in his view was two large, fluffy, magnificent breasts covered by a thin fabric. Fox found himself looking down Krystal's shirt, learning that she wasn't wearing a bra and that he liked what he saw. Krystal definitely had a larger bust than Fara, which suited Fox just fine as he was a breast man. Though the hug only lasted for a few seconds it was enough to arouse him thanks to the incredible view he had. It wasn't till Krystal parted that he remembered she could read minds and probably detected what he was thinking. She didn't seem to notice as she sat back down beside him without saying a word.

"Before I go to bed, Fox, there is one more question I need to ask." Krystal said as she looked Fox in the eye. "What happened between you and Fara that ended your marriage?"

"That's kind of a difficult question to ask me, why you ask.""

"I know, but I'll just curious that's all. On Cerinia we mate for life, divorce is a foreign concept to us."

"That's what Miyu told me." Fox said than looked down at Vixy. "It's hard to say what really caused it and it's a long story."

"I got nothing but time so go ahead if you want."

"Alright, I can't really say where it began though I will say that for a while we really were a happy couple. Fara flew with the team for a couple years till she got pregnant, accidentally."

"So, Vixy was an accident?" Krystal asked.

"Yes, you see, due to Star Fox, being a mercenary team, having a child is just not safe in any aspect. We were planning on running the team together for a while and then having kids in our thirties. That changed when we found out Fara was pregnant. She decided it'd be best if she went to work for her family's company, after we got married."

"Sounds smart to me, unless it was dangerous."

"No, for Fara it was perfectly safe. One of the many benefits of her family being one of the top ten richest families in the Lylat System." Fox replied. "I can tell you that led to a lot of rumors."

"What kind of rumors?"

"Well, a large portion of the public believed I was married to Fara solely for her money and benefits. Even today those rumors still exist."

"Were any of them true?" Krystal asked.

"No, I truly loved Fara. We just ignored the rumors and focused on our jobs and being together, especially when Vixy was born. That didn't change things as much as we thought it would."

"What do you mean by that? I thought that having a child was supposed to change everything."

"Yes, but we spent most of the time Fara was pregnant getting ready so we were prepared, or so we thought." Fox responded. "You see, not long after Vixy was born Fara's mother became severely ill. As a result Fara's father stepped down from CEO of the company so he could be with her. To fill the void Fara was asked to take over his position. She didn't want to at first but eventually she agreed. Around that same time remnants of Venom's army from the Lylat Wars began attacking and raiding like crazy so I was busy for a while. Because of that things for a little rough at home, we were both too busy for each other, to be a family. Things only got worse when there were rumors that Fara was cheating on me."

"Was she?"

"No, that was just gossip that proved to be false. Though for a week or two I believed it and confronted Fara about it. That conversation did NOT go well at all. Things got so heated that we almost came to blows. Thankfully, Peppy showed up and calmed us down before things got unrepairable."

"Huh, good thing Peppy was there." Krystal added. "How do you know she wasn't cheating on you?"

"Lots of video surveillance, proving she was too busy working to cheat. Though what sealed it for me was trusting her and realizing that she just wasn't capable of cheating on me. We cared about each other too much and despite what you think about her, Fara's too honorable to even consider cheating, as was I when we were married."

"That's a lot of trust you had in her to believe she didn't and wouldn't cheat."

"I know, but unfortunately, that was the beginning of the end." Fox said, lowering his head in shame. "Despite us reconciling that event led to the love between us dismissing. Not being able to be together made things worse as we weren't able to spend time together, time that should've been used to make our marriage stronger. Instead our relationship began to crumble, especially when work for Star Fox became scarce. That's when what I consider the nail in our coffin for our marriage began."

"Really, what could be worse than your cheating argument."

"A big misunderstanding that I took too far. You see, with the work for Star Fox becoming scarce Fara believed that it was time for Star Fox to disband. There was almost nothing for the team to do and we were losing money as a result. She thought that it'd be best for the team to disband so I could be with Vixy and we could work on our marriage."

"Sounds like a pretty reasonable explanation to me." Krystal said.

"I agree, though when she brought the suggestion up to me she worded it wrong, don't ask me how, and I took it badly. I thought she wanted me to end the team my father started, something that sounded dishonorable to me. That led to a big argument that looking back now was incredibly stupid. If there was one moment in my life I'd want back it'd be that moment. Things were said and we both realized that the marriage wasn't working so we decided it was best to end it. I know that sounds pretty stupid but that's what happened."

Krystal looked at Fox for a moment with what he guessed was a disappointed glare before shaking her head. "You're right, that is pretty stupid, on Cerinian that wouldn't pass."

"I know, and I regret as, as a result, Vixy here lives with two different parents. It's something I hope to change someday."

"I hope you manage to correct that, for Vixy's sake. So, you two are still in a relationship?"

Fox thought about it for a moment before replying. "Well, I'm not really certain what Fara and I are. I mean, we are divorced though there are still feelings between us. It's complicated to say the least."

"Huh, so you two are not a romantic couple?"

"I would say yes and no. There have been some romantic moments but nothing really serious. So technically, I would say no, not at the moment anyway."

"What about that night the two of you mated?" Krystal asked getting a shocked stare from Fox.

"You're telepathy picked up on that?"

"Yes, you were thinking about it as you were trying to describe what you and Fara are."

Fox let out a small smirk. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. That night involved some wine, a little more wine than we planned on and should've drank. It led to us having a fun night though both of us regretted it in the morning. Looking back at it I don't think it'd ever really meant anything, so you probably shouldn't worry about it."

"If you say so. Sounds to me that the two of you aren't really anything right now."

"Not entirely, we have discussed getting back together though there's still a lot of things to get past. I hope that makes sense to you." Fox replied then curiously looked at Krystal. "Why are you asking me?"

"Well, I'm curious cause there's a certain vixen I know that might want to be with you."

"Really, and just who is that?"

Krystal shook her head in what Fox guessed was frustration. "Dang you are oblivious. I don't know if I should tell you or just let you try and figure it out."

"If you say so, the only vixen I can think of is you. We just met today, that'd be kind of fast if you were already having feelings for me. You are extremely beautiful, though if it is you than I'd say we should take it slow and not jump into it."

Krystal sighed as she patted Fox on the shoulder. "That's not the response I was expecting it I'll take it. You know what, Fox, I'm going to head to bed before I reveal who it is or I pounce on you."

"Pounce on me, is that what I think it mean?"

"Oh yeah, for your sake it's a good thing Vixy is here." Krystal replied then let out a yawn. "Well, good night Fox, I hope you sleep well tonight."

"You too, and I plan to as long as the little one doesn't keep me up." Fox said and gently patted Vixy on the head as she slept.

Krystal suddenly bent over and kissed Fox on the cheek. Without saying a word she turned around and walked away, leaving a blushing fox behind. Fox watched her leave, noticing Krystal shaking her hips as she walks away, arousing him even more. It wasn't till Krystal was out of the room that he relaxed.

 _Dang, that sexy vixen is such a teaser._ Fox thought as he stood up and scooped up a sleeping Vixy in his arms.

* * *

Macbeth

Sergeant Daria McCloud was awakened from her nap by a rough push on her shoulder to see that she was still on the Cornerian military helicraft flying over the hills of Macbeth just outside the capital city. Around her were twenty darkly dressed, armored, and heavily armed soldiers wearing the Tier1 SpecOps unit logo patches on their shoulders just like she was, most of them still asleep. The only people who seemed to be awake besides her and the pilots was Captain Flax and a couple other operatives. Daria let out a big but silent yawn as she stretched. One thing she'd learned from her time on Tier1 it was to grab sleep whenever she could, even if it was a for a few minutes. Her body had gotten used to her strange sleep patterns, allowing her to switch between a short ten minute nap to, if she had the time, sleeping all morning. Looking around she wasn't the only one either, all around her the team was waking up as if they an internal alarm clock woke them up at the same time.

"Oh good, you're awake." Corporal Henderson whispered to Daria from the seat beside her.

"Unfortunately, I would've liked to sleep a few minutes more but beggars can't be choosers. How far away are we from our destination?"

"Hard to say, neither the pilots or Captain Flax have said anything. I can't even tell looking out the window, we're in the middle of nowhere."

Daria turned her head and looked out the window to see they were flying over the Macbeth mountain range, literally the middle of nowhere on the planet. "Well, the briefing did say that the Venom base was located in the mountains. If I had to guess, I'd say that we're close."

As if on que, a whistle from her team's commanding officer Captain Flax got her and everyone else's attention. "Thirty seconds till drop."

Everyone stood up as the helicraft cargo door opened up revealing the barren, rocky Solas mountain range below them. The heat from the planet's surface flooded the compartment causing everyone to start sweating almost immediately. Daria ignored the heat, her thick, white fur made it difficult, and progressed towards the edge of the door, looking down at the surface below, mentally reading herself for the challenge ahead. After a few moments the helicraft came to halt and hovered thirty feet above the ground, followed by a sliding roped dropping from the ceiling for the team to slide down.

"EVERYONE OUT, MOVE YOUR ASSES!" Captain Flax shouted.

Daria jumped out first, sliding down the rope, and ran to cover behind a nearby rock to provide cover as the rest of her team exited the craft. Within moments, all twenty Tier1 operators were on the ground and taking cover in a circle around Captain Flax. The helicraft took off immediately, leaving them on their own with no support. Within moments the helicraft was out of sight and the Tier1 team was on their own in a quiet, hot environment.

Captain Flax whistled, getting everyone's attention. "Okay, it is a five mile hike to our destination from here. We don't know what kind of scouts they have in the area so keep your heads on swivel and report any movement you see."

"Yes Captain." Everyone replied in unison then filed into formation and proceeded towards their objective as quietly as possible.

After more than an hour of careful maneuvering through the maze of mountains, Daria's team found themselves taking a concealed position on top of a small knoll overlooking a fenced in complex of buildings. The complex was surrounded by cliffs on three sides with a small opening at the front where vehicles and people could pass through. Two of the three cliff faces were pretty much a straight drops down with natural rock crop pings along the top that provided decent cover and concealment. The third cliff on the left wasn't as steep and had what could be a small trail a fire team could slip through and take cover below. The complex itself was little more than five small buildings, all but two were windowless, with a gate house and barricade near the entrance. From her concealed position, Daria could make out two guard posts, besides the gate house, that were equipped with machine guns.

"Looks pretty undefended for a supposed high profile base." Lance Corporal Beans whispered to Daria.

"It's not supposed to be, the Venomians want this base to be low profile and as concealed as possible. A highly defended or large complex would've been spotted easily. This way they're relying more on secrecy than defense."

"Huh, makes sense I guess. How many do you think are down there?"

Daria thought it over for a moment before replying. "Judging from the barracks, which is the largest building, I'd guess around fifty. Given the importance of this base, most likely they're all well trained. They probably have some of the best and most experience soldiers down there. Do NOT expect them to be push overs."

"I figured that'd be the case. Whatever the case, they're no match for Tier1."

Daria smirked only to hear Captain Flax softly whistle to them. She turned around to see him waving for her to approach. To avoid detection she slowly raised up to a crotch position and made her way back to Captain Flax who was surrounded by the other fire team leaders.

"Sergeant McCloud, take your fire team and secure the west flank. The rest will take position up here and provide cover. On my word, shoot everything that moves."

"Yes Captain, anything else."

"Not at the moment, just get your team down there as quietly and quickly as possible."

Daria nodded, proceeded back to her fire team, and informed them of the plan. They all nodded in agreement and filed in a line behind her as she lead them to the hidden trail on the left cliff. As quietly as possible, she made her way down the cliff side with her man behind her, staying a few feet apart to avoid tripping over each other. Thankfully the ground was stable and had very few slippery areas where they could slip and blow their stealth though they still had to progress slowly. It still took them nearly ten minutes to navigate the terrain carefully and quietly to the bottom where they took a concealed position in a group of rocks. Once her fire team was down on the ground Daria positioned each of her nine team members in a position where they could do the most damage and still be protected. Within minutes each of her team members were in position and ready for the signal. Strangely, no signal or word came from Captain Flax even after Daria radioed him that they were in positions. Minutes went by and no signal from him and Daria could tell that her team was getting frustrated and restless, they were not in the most comfortable positions, and at least they were trained to handle discomfort and pain.

"What's the Captain waiting for?" Corporal Bean whispered to Daria.

"The right moment I guess. He probably thinks it's best to wait till sunset so we have the some darkness cover. Other than that your guess is as good as mine."

"So, we're supposed to wait till then?"

"Pretty much I think."

Daria suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see it belonged to Corporal Henderson. He was looking for his binoculars, apparently focused on something in the distance in the direction of the gate house. Daria scooted over to him and leaned in close so he could whisper softly to her.

"Uh, Sergeant McCloud, I think I just saw movement approaching from the south. Looks like a vehicle fast approaching." Corporal Henderson whispered to Daria and pointed towards the dirt road that led to the complex.

Daria turned her gaze in the direction Corporal Henderson. "What did you see?"

"Hard to say, my view is blocked by that ridge but I think I see a dust cloud rising on the other side of it. From the size and speed it's rising I think it's an incoming vehicle."

Daria peered through her binoculars, spotting the ridge to see exactly what Corporal Henderson said. A large dust cloud was indeed rising quickly though with the ridge in the way she couldn't make out exactly what it was. She did come to the same conclusion, most likely it was caused by a vehicle traveling on the dirt road, and that concerned her. The dirt road was the only road in the area and it led to the Venom base, there was nothing else, no other location on that particular road. To Daria, it told her that whoever it was most likely were under the employment of Venom, making them a threat to her team and complicating the mission.

Daria keep her binoculars pinned on the cloud as she radioed Captain Flax. "Captain, we got a vehicle approaching up the road, I think it could be a threat to us. What do you advise?"

"What, reports said nothing about the base receiving support today or anything else coming. Stay where you are and observe, don't engage unless I say so. We'll make a decision once we see what we're up against."

"Yes Captain."

Daria turned to her fire team to inform them of orders when out of the corner of her eye she saw a vehicle appear at the entrance to the base's valley. She instantly raised her binoculars to get a better view only to nearly drop them at the spectacle she saw. Through her binoculars she saw a large, well armored Venom transport vehicle that appeared to be modified. The vehicle had more heavy metal armor wielded to it than a normal armored vehicle with what looked like a spiked battering ram attached to the front. The tires were slightly lifted and reinforced from what she could see. To Daria it appeared as if the vehicle was designed to ram through something thick. On both sides and the front was painted a Venom flag lit on fire also containing a drawing of Andross with an axe in his head.

"What the hell is that?" Daria said quietly as she continued to observe the vehicle.

Much to Daria's surprise the vehicle slowed down as it entered the valley a good distance away from the base. The action seemed to concern the guards as she noticed several throughout the base looking at the vehicle, unsure of what to do or what was going on. As the vehicle came to a stop Daria could make out two individuals, one driving and another manning the machine gun on top. From what she could see they were both reptiles, large ones at that. She could make out them wearing heavy armor though she couldn't see their weapons, which she was certain they had. Upon closer examination she determined that the one driving was a woman, Daria could make out two large breasts covered by armor, with the one on the machine gun being a male.

"Uh, Captain Flax, I don't think they are with the Venomians. If anything I believe they are planning on attacking the base themselves, judging from their vehicle's modification, I'd say they're about to ram it." Daria radioed Captain Flax.

Before Captain Flax could respond the vehicle suddenly sped towards the guard post in front of the base at a ridiculous speed, ignoring the two guards who waved their arms to get the driver's attention. Daria could only watch as the vehicle drove right to the gate, running over a guard that stood in its way. The reptile on the machine gun opened fire as they got close, gunning down two guards instantly, causing the others to throughout the base to turn and run towards the fire fight. The vehicle smashed through the front, breaking through the fence with ease and destroying a barricade at it busted through, as well as running over another guard. The machine gunner turned his fire on anything wearing a Venom uniform, slaughtering everything in his path as the woman drove the vehicle wildly, using the battering ram to destroy anything in her path. Within moments, Daria witnessed the two reptiles carve through Venom soldiers and destroy most of their defenses with brute force, she couldn't help but be impressed.

"Dang, those too sure know how to make an entrance." Daria said to the nearest soldier.

"Yes ma'am, quite impressive, they've done more damage in a shorter amount of time than we probably would've."

"You're partially right, they can only do so much damage in their vehicle. Eventually, they'll have to exit their vehicle if they want to make certain they've completely taken out the base."

As soon as Daria finished speaking the vehicle crashed into a building and seemed to get stuck. The machine gunner continued to open fire, keeping the Venomians soldiers pinned down, as the driver got out. It was then that Daria got her first good look at the reptilian woman. She was quite large and muscular from what Daria could see, easily more than six feet tall. Though she was wearing body armor, Daria could make out that she was quite shapely in the right areas, as well as muscular than she was. The other reptile seemed to be the same way, maybe a little bigger. It didn't take much for Daria to figure out that she and the other reptile were Komodo Dragons. They wore similar armor, both having black, heavy body armor that covered their chests, as well as most of their arms and legs. Daria had seen similar armor worn by heavy soldiers that was able to withstand damage from everything except the biggest guns. Both wore helmets that seemed to provide visors that covered their eyes. On their chest pieces was a symbol of a red dragon spitting fire, a symbol Daria remembered belonged to only one reptilian clan. She noticed that the woman carried an automatic plasma shotgun that she slung to use while a rifle blaster rested on her back. Daria could make out the woman also had a large sword strapped to her back, something she'd easily have the strength to use and effortlessly cleave a person in two. The male seemed to have a large axe on his back, something most people but him or his partner would have trouble using.

The woman immediately opened fire on two nearby Venom soldiers, her shotgun blasting them to bits as her partner continued to operate the machine gun. Despite having the machine's fire power, with the vehicle stuck there was only so much area it could cover and they seemed to realize it wasn't in a good position. They were stuck in the middle of a cluster of buildings, making it easy for the Venom soldiers to surround them and from what Daria observed they seemed to realize that. As the Venom soldiers worked their way around them the woman shouted at her partner, with all the noise Daria couldn't hear her but she knew the woman was telling her partner to get off the machine gun before they were surrounded. He seemed to understand and immediately jumped off and reached into the back of the vehicle to withdraw a large Gatling gun and immediately turned it on a Venom soldier that was unlucky enough to turn the corner at the moment only to be cut to shreds.

Daria watched from her concealed position as the two Komodo Dragons immediately took a defensive position back to back as the Venom soldiers continued to use the surrounding buildings to surround them. Though the Venomians outnumbered them ten to one the Komodo Dragons possessed the fire power to keep them from being overwhelmed. Watching couldn't help to impress her to the point where she felt left out and wanted to help them in their dire situation.

"Okay fire team, let's help them out. They've done quite a bit of our job for us so we might as well help them finish it." Daria ordered as she stood up and opened fire at two Venom soldiers who had her back to her, dropping them instantly.

Daria sprinted to cover behind a building, firing at two Venom soldiers, dropping one and hitting the other, only to stop once she was behind cover and see that her fire team was still in their position. She shrugged, not really surprised in their actions, and turned from cover to fire at the nearest Venom soldier, dropping him with a laser round to the head. Two more turned the corner to be gunned down from Daria's men still positioned in their cover.

 _Huh, at least they're providing fire support. With them covering my back I can probably make it._

Daria took a deep breath and sprinted towards the nearest wall, her fire team gunning down any Venom soldier that popped up. She was almost to the wall when a Venom soldier rushed from behind cover and raised his gun to shoot her. Daria was quicker, lashing out with a kick, knocking the rifle out of the Venomians hand and following with a rifle butt to his face. The blow knocked the Venomian off his feet and only the ground where Daria fired two shots into his head and her taking cover immediately.

"Sergeant McCloud, what are you doing?" Captain Flax's voice shouted in her ear piece. "Keep your fire team in their position, we can't say for certain if these two will open fire on you or not."

"You saw me from up there?"

"Yes, I watched my best soldier sprint from cover into the throngs of a full on battle like a mad woman. Return back to cover and let this mess sort out itself. We'll clean up afterwards."

"Sorry Captain, I got a gut that these two could be potential allies for us. I'm going to at least try to help them."

Daria leaned back against the wall, slightly unsure of her decision. Approaching the Komodo Dragons was either going to be a really good or really bad idea. Either way, it was too late to back out, from the sounds up ahead they were in the middle of a major firefight that was questionably going in their favor.

 _Okay, I really hope they're friendly or I'm a dead woman._ Daria thought as she pressed herself against the wall.

Daria let go of her laser rifle, the strap keeping it attached to her where she could access it, and put her hands in the air, taking a deep breath. She could hear the two Komodo Dragons shouting at each other over the gunfire though she couldn't make out what exactly what they were saying. After a moment, Daria let go of her laser rifle, the strap kept it on her and raised her hands in the air so they wouldn't see her as a threat. She jumped out from cover in plain view of the Komodo Dragons who raised their weapons in her direction.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your fire." Daria shouted at the female Komodo Dragon who lowered her shotgun. "We're on your side, I want to help you."

The female Komodo Dragon looked at Daria with a suspicious gaze as the male provided cover. "How do we know the moment we drop our guard you won't kill us?"

Daria was about to respond when she saw a Venom soldier rounding a corner out of the Komodo Dragon's eyesight. She responded with lightning fast reflexes, grabbing her rifle, raising it to her shoulder, taking quick aim, and firing two shots at the Venom soldier. Her first shot him the Venom soldier in the chest, the second in the head, dropping him instantly and getting the attention of the Komodo Dragons.

The female Komodo Dragon smiled at Daria as the Venom soldier collapsed on the ground. "That'll do it."

Daria nodded as she lowered her rifle but not her guard. "There's a bunch more coming and due to your position you'd be surrounded."

"We know and we're ready, though if you and your team are willing to help we'd appreciate it. Where are they?"

"They're in cover and concealment positions in the cliffs, watching and taking out any Venom soldier they can. They'll be our support."

"Good, we appreciate the help." The female Komodo Dragon said then turned to her male partner. "To take out these bastards we'll take any help we can get."

"Well you definitely got." Daria said only for a laser round to fly past her head as she finished speaking, immediately taking cover and firing back at the direction the shots came from.

Daria found herself under a large amount of fire from a Venom team taking cover behind a crumbled wall. They quickly had her pinned down behind a rock pile, making it nearly impossible for her to fire back. The only cover Daria had was quickly breaking apart due to all the incoming fire and it wouldn't be long before she'd be in the open. She couldn't return fire without exposing herself to them.

Suddenly, Daria heard a large volume of laser rounds flying over her head. She managed to look up to see the Venom soldiers that were firing at her being shot to pieces. A quick look behind her allowed Daria to see that the male Komodo Dragon armed with a Gatling laser was the one opening fire at them, saving her life and providing cover for her.

"GET OVER HERE BEFORE THEY TURN YOU INTO SHREDDED CHEESE!" The female Komodo Dragon shouted.

Daria didn't hesitate to off running towards the Komodo Dragons' cover. The fire support they provided all but wiped out the Venom soldiers that were shooting at her, the ones that survived ducked behind cover, giving Daria the safety she needed to make it to the Komodo Dragons without getting shot. She jumped over the wall and slid to a stop beside them.

"Daria, get away from those two, we don't know if they're threats or not." Captain Flex's sounded loud in her ear piece causing her to cringe.

Daria switched off her radio's connection to Captain Flax as she stood up and rested her rifle on the crumbled wall providing them cover. She looked over her shoulder at the two Komodo Dragons who were busy firing at anything wearing a Venom uniform. It didn't take Daria long to recover and started returning fire as well. Together they formed a triangle defense area, taking out anyone who came into their view.

"So we're clear on where we stand, I'm Daria." Daria said then stood up and opened fire, shooting a Venom soldier in the chest and then quickly returned to cover. "And you are?"

"Diana and this is my brother Torygg." The female Komodo Dragon said after firing a group of shots at cluster of Venom soldiers, her rounds cutting them apart.

"Well, I would say it's nice to meet you but that wouldn't be true in a combat situation."

"I wouldn't say that, any time you meet an ally in the middle of a fire fight, it's always a good meet."

Daria laughed and patted Diana on the shoulder. "Ha, I like you already."

At that moment, Daria heard movement coming from behind the building on her right. She and Diana turned and aimed their weapons in that direction, ready to cut whoever it was down. At the last moment, Daria saw a laser rifle barrel poking out from behind then corner and recognized it as a Cornerian military rifle.

"Don't fire, Diana, they're with me."

Diana lowered her shotgun and a moment later Daria saw her fire team appear from behind the corner. Corporal Henderson, who appeared to be leading the fire team approached Daria as the others formed a defensive circle around them.

"Sergeant McCloud, you seem to be holding out just fine."

"Yeah, I'm just here making new friends." Daria replied in a sarcastic manner that made everyone smirk. "Where's Captain Flax and his team?"

"Up on the cliff providing support. I'd say he's pretty furious with you."

"Nothing new there. Where are the Venomians, I haven't detected any more soldiers for a few moments?"

"The ones outside are all dead, if there are any left they're probably hiding in the buildings."

"Then we need to clear them out." Diana said, getting everyone's attention then turned to Torygg. "You take the barracks I'll clear out the lab."

Torygg nodded, immediately stood up, and took running towards the barracks before anyone could say a word. Daria turned to Diana to say something only to see that she was already running towards the lab.

Daria turned to her team and ordered. "Fire team, cover Torygg, I'll follow Diana."

The others nodded and proceeded after Torygg as Daria stood up and ran after Diana. It took barely a moment for her to catch up to the lizard, finding her taking cover to the entrance of a small, windowless building. She took cover at the others side of the door as Diana peered into the building only to duck back in time to barely avoid taking a plasma round to the face, followed by dozens more.

"I think we found the rest of the scum." Diana said as she pressed herself against the wall.

"Obviously, must be pretty important for this many to be in there, or they're desperate."

"I think it's both. I counted more around a dozen in there, all concentrating fire on this entrance. Even my armor can't hold up to that. We'd take out a few but not all of them."

An evil smile formed on Daria's face as she pulled a flash bang grenade out of her vest. "I think this will help."

"I like the way you think little vixen."

Daria pulled the pin and tossed the grenade through the entrance, hoping it landed in a position where it could do considerable damage. A second or two later they were rewarded by the grenade going all followed by an instant cease of incoming fire and multiple screams. Daria and Diana waited a second before entering just in case. Diana charged in first unleashing a barrage of automatic plasma fire at anything in her way. Daria stayed back, letting Diana go first and clear the way before she charged in after her. Just as Daria was about to charge in a plasma round hit Diana in the chest, something that would've at least stunned a Cornerian soldier wearing Cornerian armor. Diana, however, didn't even flinch as her armor absorbed the blow as if it was nothing.

 _Dang that Komodo Dragon's tough._ Daria thought as she followed Diana closely.

Daria entered the building behind Diana finding it full of Venom soldiers. Though the Venomians had the defensive advantage they were no match for high volume of heated plasma bolts coming their way from Diana's shotgun. Her armor absorbed any shot the Venomians got off with ease to the point she barely noticed as Daria fired from behind her. The plasma blew away any cover they were behind with ease, making them easy targets for Daria's accurate fire. Within seconds they had carved through the room, wiping out more than a dozen Venom soldiers in the process.

"Is it just me or is it too easy?" Diana asked.

"I think we just make a good team."

Diana smirked then stepped forward, carefully advancing in case there were more enemies with Daria close behind her. To Daria it seemed that they had just taken out everyone in the building, if there were more they'd probably be hiding. Looking around, despite all the debris Diana's shotgun caused, she guessed the building was a research lab due to all the equipment. She pushed it out of her mind, her job was to clear and claim the base, someone else would figure out what was going on.

"DARIA LOOK OUT!" Diana shouted at Daria.

Daria turned around just in time to see a Venom soldier with a machete rushing at her from behind. Her instincts kicked in before her mind fully recognized the situation, allowing her to respond at a ridiculous speed, making her nearly a blur as she responded. She lunged at the Venom soldier as he swung the machete at her head, catching his arm and him off guard. With his arm in her control she sidestepped and twisted him off balance and flipped him onto his back effortlessly, knocking the wind out of him. Before he could recover Daria sat down on his chest, keeping a grip on his arm and pinning him to the ground as she drew her knife. In one swift she plunged her knife deep into his throat and twisted the blade, ending his life instantly.

"Huh, pretty impressive for such a small fox." Diana said as she kept her shotgun aimed down the hallway.

"Uh, thanks, I guess, I'm a lot tougher than I look."

"I can see that."

Suddenly, Daria what sounded like a door hatch opening down the hallway. She quickly grabbed her rifle and aimed it down the hallway as did Diana, both ready for whatever was coming their way. Nothing appeared out of the doorway for a few moments till a reptile in a lab coat stepped out slowly with his arms in the air. Daria slightly lowered her rifle realizing he was surrendering but noticed Diana still had her shotgun aimed at him appearing like she was about to pull the trigger.

"Don't shoot them Diana, they've surrendered" Daria said, hoping Diana would lower her shotgun.

Diana grumbled as she lowered her shotgun. "Fine, he can live."

The scientist let out a sigh of relief but kept his arms in the air. It didn't last long as Diana approach quickly and smashed his face with the butt of her shotgun. The blow knocked the scientist out who collapsed on the ground in the heap. Daria wasn't surprised, letting out a silent laugh, that act made her job easier.

"So, what now Daria, are you going to now? You going to arrest me and Torrygg?" Diana said out of nowhere.

Daria smirked and shook her head as she lowered her rifle. "Oh no, I'm not going to waste my time doing that."

"Really, why is that?"

"Because you're a Sharpscale, you got every reason to be mad at the Venomians after what they did to your clan. Plus, you fought alongside us, it wouldn't be honorable to arrest you."

Daria fought back a smirk as she watched a shocked look appear on Diana's face. "How did you know that?"

"You're wearing the Sharpscale symbol on your chest. To answer you're next question, yes, I did my research on your clan's history, I know all about what Andross did to you. Your clan has my sympathy and respect."

"Huh, it's weird to have someone who's actually sympathic. They usually just lump us in with the rest of the Venomians even though we fought against them. Does this mean you'll help us get what we want?"

"You mean revenge against the people that forced your clan off Venom and nearly wiped you out?" Daria asked.

"Yes, right now it's just the two of us."

Daria thought about it for a moment as she worked on placing handcuffs on the unconscious Venom scientist. "Huh, hard to say, it's not like we can just go against the Venomians, that'd be against the Lylat Convention. Without probably cause or evidence we can't get into a full scale conflict with the Venomians, let alone their embassy."

"And what if you had evidence?"

"Then we might be able to do something about the embassy, it all depends on the evidence."

"Huh, then I guess we'll just have to get you some." Diana nodded and turned to leave only to stop at the door and look over her shoulder at Daria. "Oh, before I forget, you should look into the Venom embassy, there's ALOT of dark and illegal things going on there."

"We know, we just can't prove any of it. As a result we can't do anything about it."

"Why is that?"

"Because it's a diplomatic building, there's a lot of legality that prevents us from not only conducting an assault on the place but also from spying on them without probable cause." Daria explained as she lifted finished cuffing the scientist."

"Huh, that sucks though not unexpected. Even your team is bound by red tape. Is there anything that can at least make it legal for you to investigate them?"

"Viable proof would be a good start, though given the security the Venomians' use that's easier said than done."

"Not as hard as you think." Diana smiled then Daria a small disc. "That should get things started."

"Is this what I think it is?

"Yes, we've been observing the embassy for months. That's a copy of everything we've observed, hopefully should get things started."

Daria smiled as she pocketed the disc then lifted the barely conscious scientist to his feet. "Thanks, I guess this makes us even."

"In a way it does. Just make sure it gets to the right people and we will be."

"I will, don't worry about that. Now, you and your brother had better get out of here before my Captain orders you two arrested."

"No worries, I'm sure your team can handle things from here. We already accomplished what we wanted to." Diana replied then said into her radio. "Torygg, we're done here, meet me out of this vehicle and we'll get out of here."

Daria couldn't hear Torygg's response but the by the look on Diana's face it seemed like he was done too. Without saying a word, Diana turned and headed towards the door as Daria struggled a little with the scientist who was starting to realize was his situation. She quickly had him on his feet and started walking him out only to find Diana in her way.

"Take care Daria." Diana said as she turned around and waved at Daria.

"You too Diana."

Daria smirked as Diana exited the building leaving her and the scientist alone. She struggled a little with the scientist but her strength made it easy for her to get him under control. By the time Daria got him out of the build her team was already searching for intel everywhere they could. In the distance she saw Diana and Torygg's vehicle driving away just before it passed the ridge and out of her line of sight.

 _Man those two are a fiery, powerful pair. I just know we'll see them again._

* * *

So Krystal has made a big romantic gesture towards Fox, and that maybe an understatement. Fox is going to have alot of explaining to do if Fara finds out. Meanwhile, Daria had a major combat experience on Macbeth with help from two Venomians. What does thsi mean for everyone?

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	12. Awkward Negotiations

Here we go, the next chapter of Star Fox Annihiation. I'm happy that I somehow have the will and inspiration to keep writing. I'm also thankful for everyone who's still reading.

Compared to the previous few chapters this one will be short, just an explanation mostly, though there will be a big reveal explaining mostly unknown Cornerian and Cerinian history.

This chapter does have a few surprises with Zathora in it, they're subtle so I hope you're paying attention to catch them.

I want to apologize before hand for the briefing in this chapter. I had a hard time writing out the meeting between Fox, Krystal, President Stein, General Pepper, Admiral Hood, Fara Phoenix, and Shelby Wilson-McCloud. If it comes off awkward I apologize.

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 11: Awkward Negotiations

Space Dynamic Facility, Corneria

"Miss Phoenix, Miss Phoenix, there's someone here who wants to see you." Fara's secretary voice echoed over her personal intercom system causing Fara to quickly look up from her work.

"Who is it Mrs. Shelton?"

"Sergeant Jackson of the Cornerian Intelligence Agency. She says she's here to escort you to a meeting."

Fara almost froze at the mention of the name; it was one she had heard many times amongst the intelligence community. She was a jackal well known for her secrecy and intuition. From the rumors Fara heard Sergeant Jackson had also been of great therapeutic assistance to some of the Corneria's highest ranking officials, though she doubted them herself.

"Send her up immediately Mrs. Shelton." Fara said as she stood up.

"Right, away Miss Phoenix."

Fara walked to her desk cabinet and pulled out her notes from the data Peppy and Slippy sent her on the Saurian Crisis, she had a feeling shed need them for the meeting. She knew that's why Sergeant Jackson was three to escort her to the meeting. Almost immediately after the data and reports were sent to Corneria's top officials General Pepper called for a highly classified meeting to discuss the event; mostly the part of Andross coming back. Cornera's top military, political, and scientific figures were ordered to attend the meeting, including her. She suspected that'd be the reaction to the event and had prepared as best she could for it.

 _Why these meetings always do got to be such short notice, giving me so little time to prepare._ Fara thought as she searched her office for anything that could be usual.

A knock on Fara's door got her attention just as she finished gathering the information she needed. She raised her head to see a figure standing outside her door. The glass made it difficult to tell who it was though she could make out the figure was a woman, a predator by the looks of her head, and wore a Cornerian army military uniform.

"Come in, it's unlocked."

The door opened and Fara found herself staring a large, red jackal. She had a muscular build with an athletic body, giving Fara the impression that she was an experienced soldier, along with nice breasts to rear ratio. Fara could make out a Sergeant rank on her uniform and spotted the last name Jackson on her name tag. The jackal reminded her lot of Daria in terms of appearance, they could know each other for all she knew. What puzzled Fara was there seemed to be a strange energy filling the air that seemed to be coming from the jackal.

"Miss Phoenix, the Cornerian military board is assembled. We're just waiting for a stable connection and for Fox McCloud to join." The jackal said

"Thank you Sergeant Jackson, I'll be right with you."

With a loud sigh Fara turned off her computer, stood up and followed Sergeant Jackson out of her office. Keeping up with the jackal wasn't hard as she walked at a pace that was slower than normal; giving Fara the impression the she had something to ask. However, Sergeant Jackson remained quiet as they made their way down the busy hallway. It wasn't till they exited the hallway and found themselves in a slightly isolated lunch room that the jackal seemed to slow down and indicate she had something to say.

"You look distracted Miss Phoenix, is something wrong?" Sergeant Jackson asked.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes ma'am, you might as well be wearing a giant sign that says "something is bothering me, please ask me what it is."

Fara chuckled. "I didn't know it was that bad, though I don't think it's necessary to talk about it."

"It's obviously distracting you, for this meeting with so many important people you don't need that."

"Huh, I suppose you got a point, though it's all I can think about."

Sergeant Jackson suddenly stopped on her tracks, turned around, and faced Fara with a stern look. "Then we need to correct that before you go in there."

Fara jumped back out of shock as the jackal moved so quickly that she didn't even see her till she was standing right in front of her. The speed she moved at was frightening to say the least, almost seemed supernatural to her. The serious glare Sergeant Jackson shot her was a completely different matter, the only time Fara had seen a stare like it was when Shelby talked to her about marrying Fox.

"Miss Phoenix, before we go into that meeting you need to get rid of those worries clouding your mind."

Fara looked at Sergeant Jackson confused. "Are you suggesting I talk to some jackal I barely know about my feelings? Yeah, that's not suspicious at all."

"Normally, yes, I would agree with you, but it would hardly be the first time people have confided in me. A few people you know . . . cough, Shelby and Daria, cough . . . . have talked to me about their problems, so has General Pepper."

"Really, all those people talk to you about their problems? I find that very hard to believe."

"You're hard the first person to say that." Sergeant Jackson said with a chuckle. "You see, working in Corneria's intelligence department, I have access to some of the top individuals. Even they have problems, and for such highly important individuals to have problems that can distract them could lead to horrible consequences. So to prevent that I often act as a therapist or someone who listens to their problems, so it doesn't distract them. I keep their secrets and they do their job without problems."

Fara looked at Sergeant Jackson in disbelief. It was becoming harder and harder for her to see the jackal as just a soldier. She seemed to possess far greater intuition than even professional therapists, to the point where it was a little creepy. However, Fara had heard rumors about Sergeant Jackson from others, mostly gossip, about her therapeutic skills. She didn't believe it till the jackal was standing in front of at that very moment. As much as Fara wanted to say no she knew Sergeant Jackson was right, she needed to be undistracted before heading into the meeting.

"If what you're saying is true then a lot of very important individuals put their trust in you." Fara finally said.

"Yes, hard to believe I know. But, if you got anything you want or need to say I'm here for you. I'll also give what advice I can."

Fara thought about it for a moment, unsure if she should trust the jackal she hardly knew with such private information. She had always been private in her personal life, keeping it as far away from the public spotlight as possible to avoid scandal and distractions. However, Sergeant Jackson seemed to already know it all and then some, trying to hide it from her seemed to be impossible. It did help that she had helped so many others she knew with similar problems. To Fara, it seemed best to just go ahead and get it over with.

Fara let a sigh. "Alright, if you think it'll help. I'm not sure where to start though."

"Fortunately, I'm pretty sure I known whole problem. You're worried about Fox aren't you? That the blue fox will steal him from you?"

"What, how do you know about that?"

Sergeant Jackson crossed her arms under her chest. "Miss Phoenix, I work for the Cornerian Intelligence Agency, it's not hard for me to find things out. Though if it makes you feel better, I saw the video Fox interacting with the blue vixen when she was stuck in the crystal and after she was freed. Everyone knows that Fox and you were once married and from our interactions it wasn't hard for me to figure out that you still have feelings for him. Hence the jealousy you're feeling right now."

"Alright, no point in hiding it, you're right, I am jealous. I don't know why though as it seems stupid to be jealous of Krystal under so little known information."

"That's often how it starts, no shame in that. Though before I answer that I got to ask a very important question. I'm curious, Miss Phoenix, why do you care so much when you and Fox are divorced?"

Fara looked down at the ground pondering the answer to the question. "Well, best answer I can think of is because I still love Fox, even after our divorce. Sure things got bad between us but we didn't split up because we stopped loving each other."

"You two been working on getting back together?"

"Yes, though probably not as much as we should. It's difficult for me to find time to be with him and be the CEO of one of Lylat's companies at the same time. But, I have tried to spend time with him to rekindle what we had."

Sergeant Jackson shrugged her shoulders. "At least you're trying, though that only accounts to so much in a relationship. It has to actually mean something for your effort to be effective; otherwise you're just wasting your time."

"I suppose you got a point, Fox does require a lot of attention. I mean that in both a serious and joking manner, I have to constantly look after the guy."

"Sounds like me and my husband, I got to constantly look after him. However, having too much of a presence in his life could be a bad thing, especially since the two of you aren't married anymore. He could feel like you're trying to rule his life and that might lead to more issues."

"I guess you're right, I have been keeping tabs on his quite a bit, probably too much." Fara replied then looked at Sergeant Jackson with a slight puzzled and impressed expression. "You sure do seem to know a lot of marriage and relationships, what's your secret?"

Sergeant Jackson glared softly at Fara. "I'm married Miss Phoenix, and have children. I can understand your concern, to an extent. "Sergeant Jackson replied.

"What do you mean by to an extent?"

"Well, to put it in simple terms, I'm not worried in the slightest about another woman coming between me and my husband. Besides the kids and his work I got his complete attention. No woman is coming between us."

Fara looked at Sergeant Jackson in amazement. "How do you do that?"

"Short answer is LOTS of bedroom activity; we make sure we're both satisfied. But there's more to it than just rocking the bed. It involves spending time to together, listening to each other, you got to work hard to have a real relationship, and it's not something that just happens."

"Huh, that was more than I needed to hear. However, you make it sound so simple."

"It's not; anything worthwhile requires time and effort." Sergeant Jackson replied. "That makes me have to ask . . . is your relationship with Fox really worth the effort?"

"Of course it is, I still have feelings for him, plus I have our daughter to think about. Getting back together is important for her."

"Not a bad answer, though you need to consider it not just for you daughter but for yourself too. It's good that you still have feelings for your ex-husband, though there's a lot more factors to consider than just that before attempting to rekindle your relationship."

"We've been working on that already, though we haven't made much progress." Fara said, and then let out a deep sigh. "However, it all feels like it's for nothing since Krystal came into the picture."

"Hm, hardly the first time I've heard. It's perfectly natural for a woman to be concerned when a gorgeous woman gets their mate's eye. Though from what I've heard it seems more like just a glimpse than anything."

"Yeah, I know, feels stupid to be concerned looking back at it. What really concerns me is that he's letting her on the team so easily. To my knowledge all he's doing is taking her to Macbeth for training, probably under his sister."

"You mean Sergeant Daria McCloud?"

"Yes, do you know her?" Fara asked with a shocked look.

"I've met her a few times; she's a pretty interesting vixen to say the least. If Daria can't train Krystal then I doubt anyone can."

Fara couldn't help but smile at Sergeant Jackson's comment, knowing that it was true. Daria McCloud was not just an extraordinary soldier but also an amazing trainer in both ground and air combat. She had learned from her older half-brother Todd McCloud who taught her everything she knew. Daria had a reputation for being a strict and hard teacher, not failing those who couldn't meet the qualifications or standards no matter who they were. There was a story circulating around the military that she had been ordered to train a General's son who had low scores so he could get better and get into a high ranking and classified position. Daria trained him for two weeks only to fail him when he proved to be too lazy, which led to a lot of backlash, but she refused to give him a pass because of his parentage. Knowing that story was true, Fara was certain that Daria would give Krystal the same treatment and hold Krystal to the same standards, and fail her if she didn't meet them.

"If that's true then Krystal may not even make it through the training. Though it still concerns me that's all Fox's doing to let Krystal join the team." Fara said, shaking her head.

"I think that'll be more than enough, Daria will NOT take it easy on Krystal no matter how much Fox begs her too."

"True, though that's not really what's bothering me, it's how easily Fox is letting her on the team. That's not an uncommon thing in the business world, for a beautiful woman to get a great position from a low ranking position or right off the back, which is almost always an indication that she slept her way to get there."

"And you're worried that's how she got Fox to let her join?" Sergeant Jackson asked with a cocky smile.

"Well, partially, I'm certain she hasn't slept with him, Fox isn't the kind of guy who jumps into bed with beautiful women he's just met. I think she flirted her way, wouldn't be hard if she was wearing that skimpy outfit from the video."

"Probably not, though I think that Fox has a stronger will than that. Krystal probably had to work hard for him to agree to that."

Fara shrugged her shoulders. "You're probably right, though I can't just let it slide, I have to do something about it."

"True, if you want to keep Fox's attention you have to do something. You want my advice Miss Phoenix?"

"Please, call me Fara, and strangely, yes, I do."

"Alright, you agreed to it." Sergeant Jackson replied then took in a deep breath. "My advice, Fara, just be there with Fox, and Krystal. You should make your presence known and try to be friendly with Krystal, being aggressive with her will not end well."

"Really, you think I should be friendly to the vixen that could potentially be trying to steal my mate?"

"Former mate, you're divorced remember. Plus, do you know for certain that she even wants Fox."

Fara stared at Sergeant Jackson in shock; she didn't expect such a stern answer so quickly. "Uh, no, I can't say that with a hundred percent certainty. However, I do know what reports say and there are things that members of Star Fox have told me that make it pretty convincing."

"But you can't say for certain yourself, that's a major problem."

"I know, but why would you suggest I be nice to her?"

Sergeant Jackson sighed. "Well, I've seen this situation play out with my own eyes more than once. Two females both liking the same guy, one of them being his lover or former lover and the other being a new girl that's gotten his attention. Things always get heated between the two women resulting in them going at each other, more often than not resulting in both ruining their relationships being ruined with the guy. Even if that doesn't happen things become tense between all three and results in serious emotional damage. From what I've observed, being aggressive and jealous is not the way to go."

"Alright, and what is?"

"Well, for starters, don't be so hostile about it, instead remain calm and friendly to them both, only become aggressive if it is absolutely necessary, and it rarely ever does."

"Okay, so you're saying I should let Krystal flirt with Fox?" Fara replied with a dark smirk. "I don't think letting her sink her claws into Fox is a good ideas."

"That's where part two comes into play. You need to make yourself known to Fox, remind him of why you fell in love. Be sexy, be fun, do what it takes to remind him of your presence."

"Sounds to me like you're saying I should flaunt my assets to get Fox's attention. That would be too obvious, I rarely ever did that when we were married, only when we were about to mate or if I wanted to influence his decision on something. If I started doing that he'd quickly figure it out pretty quickly. Besides, I don't quite have the "assets" that Krystal does, from the videos and pictures I've seen of her my figure just isn't as good as hers in the important areas that men care about."

Sergeant Jackson smirked. "You make it sound like looks are all Fox cares about when from what I heard that couldn't be further from the truth. Normally that would be true for men, but there are some like you're mate Fox that see deeper than a woman's big tits or fine ass. Clearly, he married you because he fell in love with who you are, and most likely that spark still exists. Just remind him of that."

"So, you're saying I don't need to wear some skimpy bikini and mini skirt to get Fox's attention, I just need to be there and remind him of us?"

"Pretty much, though it'll probably be easier said than done, so having some revealing clothing on hand might help, along with a bed nearby."

Fara couldn't help but blush. "Uh, I don't think bedding Fox is something that's necessary."

"Just a suggestion, that's how I got my husband's attention. The next morning Argnol was so sore he was barely able to roll over and propose to me."

"Okay, that was more information than I needed to know."

"Just using it as an example sweetheart." Sergeant Jackson said with a laugh. "Though you get the idea."

"Yeah, be there, remind him of our love, and if need to bed him before the blue vixen does, I got it."

"And don't forget, be friendly to Krystal, don't cause tension, it never ends well."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll try but no promises." Fara replied, shaking her head with a slight smile, and then looked down at her watch. "Oh man, we'd better hurry or we'll be late. These are not people you want to keep waiting."

Sergeant Jackson nodded, turned around, and proceeded to lead Fara down to the hallway to the hologram briefing room. They practically ran through the hallway with Fara finding it hard to keep up with her escort, the jackal was much faster than she looked and Fara believed she was holding back significantly. Thankfully, no one but them was walking through the hallway so they didn't have to worry about running into people. After hardly any time at all they came to briefing room and stopped at the door.

Fara turned and faced Sergeant Jackson. "You know, you're pretty curious and intuitive for a Sergeant."

"Call it an old habit. I've always been naturally curious, and I'm good at reading people. It's not hard if you know what to look for in a person's movements and expressions. I had you figured out almost immediately."

"Huh, I'll have to work on that. Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it."

"You're very welcome, Fara." Sergeant Jackson replied, bowing her head to Fara who returned the gesture. "Good luck in there, you'll need it."

"You're not wrong on that. Before I head in I'd like to know the first name of the woman who advised me."

"Sure, my first name is Zathora."

* * *

Great Fox

Fox walked down the hallway towards the hologram briefing room, his mind in a slightly sleepy daze. One of the moments he'd been dreading ever since he got back on the Great Fox, a debriefing with some of Corneria's most important people over the events on Sauria. He knew that once he explained the Andross situation to them, most likely they already knew thanks to the reports, they probably wouldn't be too happy, maybe even scared. What scared him was Fara attending the meeting, though it was by hologram he was nervous how she would react since she knew about him and Krystal. On top of that the infamous Admiral Hood was supposed to attend the meeting as well, he had a reputation for hating Star Fox, and just mercenaries in general. Add all that together and Fox felt like he was almost a stress volcano.

"Hey Fox, wait up!" A familiar famine voice called out from behind Fox causing him to turn around and see Krystal walking towards him.

As much as he tried to resist Fox found himself smiling as Krystal approached, maybe it was because of her beauty or charming personality. He was a little off guard seeing her dressed much more modesty than he's previously seen her. She had on a loose fighting, white t-shirt, no doubt that she borrowed from Miyu, that was still a little low cut giving Fox a slight view of pleasant cleavage. Krystal also wore loose black pants but still had the sandals she wore earlier. Even though it wasn't even close to being as revealing as the previous outfits he's seen her in Krystal still looked beauty. Fox was certain she could make a burka sexy. Seeing her dressed modesty raised his suspicion as she approached him.

"Krystal, why are you looking for me? Did something happen?" Fox asked with the best straight face he could muster.

"I figured it would be a smart tactical choice if I joined you."

"Really, what makes you say that?"

"Never know when you need a witness, plus I can provide moral and factual support if you need it. Plus it always helps to have a telepath for negotiations." Krystal explained.

"True, though there are security concerns, this meeting will be top secret, so I don't know how well you'd be received."

"I know, but I can be of serious help in there if you let me and I can keep secrets . . . please Fox."

Fox crossed his arms and thought about it for a few minutes before answering. Knowing Fara would be there was almost enough to make him tell her no. Plus, since Krystal was unknown figure with a background that only he knew, the others attending the meeting most likely be hesitant to have her there for security reasons was a factor he had to consider. They'd probably think he was letting her attend solely because she was absolutely gorgeous, no doubt at least one would think he was sleeping with her. However, she knew more about what had happened than he did, and her story of Andross on Cerinia would probably be beneficial. Having her to back him up as a witness couldn't hurt either.

"Alright, having you in there could be beneficial. Just don't say much unless they ask and only tell them everything necessary if they ask." Fox said.

"No problem, I got your back. And if any of them say anything about us sleeping together I will correct them."

"You're telepathy pick up on that?"

"Of course, I saw the whole argument in your head." Krystal replied with a smile.

"I swear, I'll never get used to the whole telepathy thing."

"In time you will, just got to watch what you think."

Fox smirked the turned towards the briefing room and walked down the aisle with Krystal close behind him. He opened the door to the briefing room to find Peppy already inside. The room was smaller than the bridge but had multiple hologram platforms on the floor they were supposed to stand on for the holograms to work and a console at the corner of the room Peppy was operating. At the far side of the room was several displays that emitted holograms from others.

"Fox, the others are all gathered, they're waiting for you." Peppy said.

"Have they been waiting long?"

"No, the last one just got synced in, but you know these individuals do not want to be kept waiting."

"I know, that just makes it worse." Fox replied with a sigh. "Oh well, let's get this over with."

"Of course, just stand on the platform, and we'll get started."

Fox nodded and stepped on the platform causing it to light up. Krystal did it a moment later, standing on the platform beside him. Peppy activated the hologram and immediately the lights at the other side of the room began to flicker. After a moment five life-sized holograms appeared in front of five very important individuals: General Pepper, President Alfred Stein, Admiral George Hood, Fara Phoenix, and Shelby Wilson-McCloud. Anxiety and concern filled Fox's mind as it always did when he stood before those individuals all together. A quick glance from Krystal calmed him down.

The hologram of General Pepper turned to Fox and said. "Fox, took you long enough to connect."

Fox smirked and shook his head at General Pepper. "Well, General, it's hard to get a clear connection out here. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"After what happened on Sauria I'm just happy you're back in one piece. From what the reports say things couch hardly have gone worse but you still managed to succeed. We're glad the mess was taking ca of before things became apocalyptic."

"And we have you to thank for that, Fox." The hologram of President Stein said then turned to Fox. "It's good to see you Fox, I hope that life has been treating you well."

Fox smiled at President Stein, the elected leader of the Cornerian people and most of the planets in the Lylat System that Corneria had a stake on. He was one of the few politicians that still openly supported Star Fox. After so much time had passed since the Lylat Wars the public attention of Star Fox began to fade, with no major deeds since then it was hard to keep the reputation. Many politicians had begun questioning the team's necessity, resulting in very little open support. Fox was more than happy for one of their open supporters to be the most powerful man in the Lylat System.

"It is nice to see you too Mr. President and so far it has." Fox said with a nod.

"Glad to hear it, Fox, even after recent events."

The hologram of Admiral Hood sighed. "I hope for once you're not wasting our time with this briefing, after the whole Saurian Andross fiasco covering it up has been troublesome."

All eyes in the room turned on Admiral Hood, most giving him a dark glare. His response didn't surprise Fox at all, the man had a long history of being aggressive towards mercenary units, even though working for Corneria. He had always been vocal about his opinion towards them, even when questioned in public. The way Fox understood it, Admiral Hood, being from a prestigious family with a long service in the Cornerian military, dating back more than five hundred years, it lead him to see mercenaries are just honorless men abusing war for most often monetary gain. It made working, let alone talking, with him difficult and something that Fox tried to avoid at all costs unless he had no other option. Unfortunately, since Admiral Hood was in control of Corneria's space fleet, second in the entire military only to General Pepper, it meant that working with him was hard to avoid.

"Oh will you shut it Admiral, Fox more than accomplished his mission, and he did an outstanding job down there." The hologram of Fara growled at Admiral Hood then nodded at Fox. "Fox, it's nice to see you again, is this the vixen you rescued from the crystal?"

All eyes turned to Krystal who nodded. "Yes, my name is Krystal, of the planet Cerinia. Fox did save my life and Sauria, so I owe him quite a lot. It is a pleasure meeting you all."

Everyone bowed and said hello to Krystal, except for Admiral Hood who only reluctantly waved. Fox was slightly surprised by it, he half expected everyone to shoot him a dozen questions or criticize him from bringing him to the meeting. He just hoped it would stay that way but he doubted it would.

The hologram of Shelby Wilson-McCloud smiled as Fox blushed. "I must say Fox, she is cuter than I thought she'd be."

Fox immediately blushed and he heard Krystal giggle and Peppy gasp. Everyone else just stared at Shelby who laughed and shrugged her shoulders. He expected her to say or do something to embarrass him but not on that level.

Fox covered his face to hide his embarrassment. "Shelby, do you have to do that?"

"I'm just pointing out the obvious, plus you're way too easy to embarrass, Fox." Shelby replied the turned to Krystal. "It's an honor to meet you Krystal."

"It's an honor to meet you too Miss Wilson-McCloud." Krystal said, bowing slightly to Shelby. "The others have told me a lot about you and Fara. I look forward to meeting you both in person."

Shelby and Fara, which surprised Fox, both nodded back then everyone turned to General Pepper since introductions were done. So far Fox was glad the way the meeting was going, and hoped it would continue going that well, though with Admiral Hood present he knew it was only a matter of time before things turned. He was just glad Fara hadn't said a word about Krystal yet other than introductions.

General Pepper stepped forward and cleared his throat. "So, is anyone unclear why we're here?"

"No, it's obvious we're here to discuss this mercenary imbecile' blunder that got Andross resurrected." Admiral Hood said, getting a grumble from everyone.

"Be quiet Hood." President Stein immediately shouted. "We are simply here for a detailed debriefing report of the Saurian Crisis. The blame will come later, right now, I just want to hear what happened from a firsthand witness."

"I am more than happy to do that and to accept the blame if you think I deserve it." Fox responded.

"Very good Fox, though I am sure that it is not entirely you're fault, Andross had us all fooled." Shelby added.

"Of course, Fox and all of us here had everything reason to believe that Andross was dead." General Pepper replied. "Though after the incident on Titania four years ago we should've been more cautious."

Fox shudder to himself as he remember the events on Titania that resulted in a clone of Andross being discovered along with treachery in the Cornerian military, and Falco leaving the team. The whole event was just a clustered mess and it still haunted him. Afterwards, Fox worked hard to convince the Cornerian government and military to step up patrols and investigations just in case a similar event happened with little success. If it had then possibly the Saurian Crisis could've been avoided, though he knew not to dwell on it and pushed it out of his mind.

"That doesn't matter now if we could've prevented it." General Pepper stated, getting everyone's attention. "Right now we need to focus on what happened."

"At least we can agree on something." Admiral Hood said.

"I agree, that's why we're here." President Stein relied. "So Fox, can you recap for us what happened on Sauria?"

Fox nodded and began telling the tale of his adventures on Sauria, starting at his first arrival at the Earthwalker village. He spared them most of the details, only telling them the essential information of his adventures. No one else spoke as he explained, not wanting to miss a detail. Even Krystal didn't speak except when Fox asked her to explain the Krazoa spirits. Shelby, Fara, General Pepper, and President Stein seemed to be impressed as Fox told his adventures but Admiral Hood just had a blank scowl on his face the entire time. Fox did look cautiously at Fara as he got to the first time he met Krystal, who just shrugged as he left out a lot of the event. It wasn't till he got to the part of the Krazoa revealed it was Andross that they began shooting him questionable looks.

"Why am I not surprised, the dumb mercenary got played by the villain." Admiral Hood growled once Fox finished.

"That's completely uncalled for Admiral." General Pepper shouted. "They were fooled just like the rest of us. There's no way he could've known that it was a trap."

"He might have if he hadn't been focused on a scantily clad vixen." Fara muttered loud enough for Fox to hear but no else seemed to notice.

"How would he have known anyway?" Shelby growled at Admiral Hood. "There was no indication that the Krazoa was Andross and the only person who could've confirmed that was locked in a crystal."

"Sounds too coincidental to me." Admiral Hood replied.

"Everything sounds that way to you." General Pepper responded then turned Fox. "At least you, Mr. Lombardi, and Lieutenant Lynx were able to destroy Andross before he could do any damage."

"Barely, he put up one hell of a fight but we succeeded. Though I doubt this will be the end of it." Fox replied.

"I agree, no doubt some Venomians or other highly placed individuals were behind this." Fara added. "We're probably about to see a rise in Venom rebel activity because of this."

"Or they'll go into hiding and be even harder to find and eliminate." General Pepper said.

"Either way, things are going to be more difficult." President Stein stated. "Though that can be discussed later, there are other things I'm curious about, like the blue vixen with you Fox."

Fox notice Krystal blush a little before she replied. "I already answered a few questions but I will try to answer more if I can."

Admiral Hood snorted loudly, getting the attention of everyone in the room. "What I want to know is why is Krystal here, in a top secret meeting?"

"I'm here to clear things up about the Krazoa spirits and a witness, it's as simple as that."

"By witness I think you mean damsel in distress." Fara muttered.

"I heard that and you are not wrong. But I do have a deep understanding of Sauria and the events that happened. If anything I can provide insight into how Andross was able to use the Krazoa Spirits to restore himself."

"If you say so, though that doesn't explain what you were doing on Sauria to begin with."

"Well, long story short, I was hunting Andross. He came to my home world and attempted the same thing he did on Sauria only to fail, resulting in the death on my parents and several others." Krystal explained. "I arrived on Sauria just as the crisis was beginning and tried to stop it, but failed and you know the result."

"You mean being stuck in a crystal?" Shelby asked.

"Yes, and to answer the obvious question, yes, I am aware of the irony, so please do not start."

"I wasn't going to."

"I don't think any of us were." President Stein said. "Thank you for at least attempting to solve the problem and for speaking with us."

"You're welcome, though I will admit it is a little weird for a Cerinian to be talking to a room full of Cornerians."

"Uh, what do you mean by that young, lady, how is this weird?" President Stein asked.

"Well, one of your fleets did invade my home world a LONG time ago and resulted in a lot of deaths."

"One of our fleets, you sure about that?" General Pepper stated.

"Wait, you really don't know? Oh boy this is weird." Krystal said, shaking her head. "I figured Cornerians were aware of the invasion one of your fleets launched on my home world three hundred years ago."

"Uh no, there are no records of such an invasion being launched, let alone planet Cerinia." Fara replied. "Though knowing Corneria's history that's actually very believable."

Fox lowered his head deep in thought as he remembered the Cornerian history he studied with such fascination and disgust. In school, he learned that a little over five hundred years ago the Cornerian people were the first to perfect space travel and energy based weaponry in the Lylat System. Back then, Cornerian was inhabited strictly by predators, mostly feline and canine species, and their home world was beginning to suffer overpopulation problems. To combat it the Cornerians sent exploratory fleets, each accompanied by a large military presence, to nearby planets to colonize. The problem was that the planets were already inhabited. When the Cornerians arrived, they addressed the problem by offering the inhabitants two choices: submit to Cornerian rule and colonization or be annihilated. Sadly, the Cornerians kept their word and, on more than one occasion, exterminated the inhabitants. Those that surrendered were treated harshly, often as lower class citizens and cruel punishment if they disobeyed. Corneria continued in those activities till a hundred and twenty years ago when a large group of Cornerians rebelled and united the other species against the government and military, resulting in a bloody, ten year civil war. At the end the old Cornerians were either killed or surrendered and a new Corneria began, one of peace and prosperity for all that still existed. The history of Corneria was still taught to remind the people of the horror their ancestors committed and to prevent a return to the old ways. Fox could see Krystal's home world being one of those the old Cornerians invaded if what she hinted at was true.

"I didn't think that the Cornerian exploratory fleets reached that far out of the Lylat System." Fara said, appearing to be deep in thought.

"To my knowledge they didn't, I also don't remember anything about Cerinia being a planet we invaded. It was never listed as one." Shelby added.

"There were a lot of fleets sent out, if we knew which one it was then we could verify it." President Stein said.

"Does 274 mean anything? That was what Cerinian records indicated about the Cornerian fleet that invaded us. Something about the 274th fleet if I remember correctly, it's been a while since I've heard the story." Krystal replied, getting a gasp from everyone in the room.

"You're telling us that three hundred years ago the famous 274th fleet attacked your home world?" Admiral Hood asked.

Fox remained where he was but didn't hide his surprise. He vaguely remembered hearing about the 274th fleet during his time at the Cornerian Military Academy. From what he remembered the 274th fleet was the first time the Cornerians sent a fleet outside of the Lylat System. It was comprised of nearly ten thousand military and exploratory personnel with the sole purpose of finding planets to colonize. But, once the fleet left the borders of the system they were never heard or seen again. After twenty-five years of no contact the fleet was officially classified as MIA with it becoming listed as KIA after fifty years. A monument of the fleet stands at the Cornerian Military Academy to honor them, even though no one knew what happened to them

"Yes," Krystal answered in a stern voice. "The fleet just showed up and they gave my people the order to submit to Cornerian rule or be annihilated. We showed them no aggression but refused and they attacked us."

General Pepper sighed. "Knowing the ways of the old Cornerians I guess we shouldn't be surprised. Our ancestors conquered and slaughtered their way across the Lylat System. It makes sense the 274th did it to Cerinia."

"That doesn't excuse us for their actions." President Stein shouted then turned to Krystal. "I know this may sound stupid but I apologize for our people nearly wiping out yours."

"Uh, thanks, but the 274th didn't wipe us our or conquer us." Krystal replied. "They tried but failed, big time."

"Wait, are you saying that your people somehow defeated a Cornerian fleet?" Admiral Hood said.

"Yeah, they attacked us when we refused and the slaughter began. Within a few hours at least a third of our population was dead. Obviously we had to defend ourselves."

"Why didn't your people surrender, they must've seen they were outnumbered?" General Pepper asked.

"Because we're a proud people, always have been. We were led by the powerful hero Megaloth who stood against the fleet." Krystal answered. "I know none of you will believe it but we Cerinians were blessed by the gods and by one of those above the gods, that's a big reason why we fight so hard."

 _One of those above the gods? What in the heck does she mean by that?_ Fox thought as he listened to Krystal.

"Oh great, a religious nut." Admiral Hood said as he rolled his eyes.

"Admiral Hood will you please shut up." President Stein growled, then looked back at Krystal. "So, what happened after the 274th attacked?"

"A lot of bloodshed, we tried fighting back but had only just developed aircraft while your fleet was far more advanced, leading to a one-sided fight. Most of people retreated to underground facilities to recover, but that didn't sit well with our leader, Megaloth. He stood alone against the fleet and sacrificed himself to stop them."

"One man, against the 274th, that's a little hard to believe. " General Pepper said.

"I know, though you have seen what the energy on Sauria can do. Cerinia's energy is pretty similarly, arguable more powerful. Megaloth harnessed it into his own power to destroy the fleet."

"You're talking about harnessing the energy into a massive explosion?" Fara asked. "In a similar fashion Andross did to you on Sauria?"

"Yes, only much more powerful. Megaloth is believed to be the most powerful Cerinian to ever exist, able to harness far more energy than me. I know it is hard to believe but that is the story."

The room deathly silent as no one seemed to know what to say. Looking around Fox could see that everyone except Admiral Hood believed her, which didn't surprise me. He was almost in a state of shock himself after hearing it. The thought of his own people attempting genocide against the beautiful woman standing beside him home world was enough to send shiver after shiver down his spine. What surprised him was how calm Krystal seemed to be telling the story, almost as if it didn't bother her.

"So, do Cerinians still hold a grudge against Corneria for that?" President Stein asked hesitantly after several moments passed. "Are they aware that we don't even know about it?

"I would say that most of Cerinia still does. A lot of it has to do with the fact that our two civilizations have not had any contact since then, so obvious there is hatred for Cornerians since nothing has or could have been done to change that. Hell, I am the first Cerinian to have contact with Corneria since then."

"And yet, you're surprisingly calm about it." Fara responded with a curious look.

"That is because I can see that the Corneria that attacked us back then is NOT the same as the Cornerians that are standing before me today. Plus, that was three hundred years ago, so no, I don't hold it against you and you'll have no grudge from me. However, I cannot speak the same for the rest of my people." Krystal replied. "I am sure quite a few of my people would be furious at me just for speaking with Cornerian."

"So, what you're saying is that three hundred years and most Cerinians still don't like us?" Shelby asked.

"Well, your fleet did kill over a third of my people, that's not something you get over quickly."

"I suppose you got a point."

"So, I'm going to guess and say that peaceful negotiations are out of the question between our two planets." General Pepper stated.

"Probably, hard to say if we do not attempt it." Krystal replied, shrugging her shoulders. "But, that's not why we are right now. There is a more pressing matter that needs our attention."

"Surprisingly, I actually agree with the blue fox." Admiral Stein said. "We can discuss this . . . Cerinian issue later. Andross' return is what we need to focus on."

Everyone nodded in agreement, though from the looks on everyone's face Fox was sure that they all wanted to question Krystal further. Discussion began on how to address the Saurian Crisis, particularly the energy the planet possessed. After seeing its power, it was agreed that they couldn't simply ignore the energy but messing with it seemed to be out of the question. Krystal, with Fox's help, got the others to see that interacting with the inhabitants on Saurian was also a bad idea and should be kept to a minimum. They eventually agreed that Sauria should be kept isolated with minimal investigations into the planet's energy, environment, and inhabitants be conducted by professionals from Space Dynamics with very limited interaction. It wasn't till they began discussing Andross's return that things got tense. Everyone was in agreement that the event shouldn't be ignored and treated as a one-time event, such things are not the case with Andross. However, getting everyone to agree on how to handle it was a different matter entirely. Admiral Hood wanted to conduct a system wide search and destroy operation on every Lylatian planet to find and eliminate every Venom rebel stronghold in the system. It took a while to convince him that a more subtle method was needed.

After what seemed like forever, General Pepper stepped forward. So, are we all in agreement?"

"Definitely, I'll increase fleet patrols to the out colonies where Venom rebel groups are holding. Hopefully we'll find something there." Admiral Hood said.

"Of course, the research Space Dynamics can do with the data Star Fox sent us should allow us to not only be better equipped to detect such events but also to end them if they do." Fara replied.

"Send me some of that data, it could be valuable to my research." Shelby said to Fara getting a nod from her.

"Just remember to keep it confidential for now, we don't want the public finding out that Andross returned till we know more. That could start a system wide panic." President Stein said, getting a nod from everyone. "Till we know more what happened on Sauria and get these events thoroughly under control do not speak a word of this to the public."

Everyone nodded in agreement, knowing full well that if the Saurian Crisis was leaked to the public it would be a disaster. Fox was certain that on most planets, the thought of Andross returning would certainly cause mass panics. To make things worse, if the word slipped to Venom it could possibly lead to them reuniting and starting another war, something Corneria was desperately trying to avoid.

"Alright, if there's nothing left to discuss for now then this meeting is adjourned." President Stein stated.

"There are still things that we should discuss though those can be saved for a later date." General Pepper said, Fox knew he was referring to Krystal.

When no one said a word they seemed to take it as a sign that the meeting was over. One by one the holograms turned off till only Fara's remained. She stood in her position, looking between Fox, Krystal, and Peppy for a moment, appearing to wait till she was certain everyone else had logged off.

After a few moments, Fara looked at Peppy and Krystal and stated. "Peppy, Krystal, I'd like to speak to Fox alone if you please."

Peppy and Krystal nodded then exited the room, though Krystal gave Fox a worried look before she left. Soon Fox found himself alone with Fara's hologram that starred at him without saying a word. He had a feeling would want to speak to him alone even before the meeting started, but didn't think that Fara would just stare at him. Even though she was just a hologram he could feel the anger in her eyes. Any moment he expected her to start shouting at him, instead she just remained silent.

"So, how's Vixy doing?" Fara asked, breaking the tension.

"Last time I saw Vixy she was doing pretty good, Miyu and Fay are looking after her, very hesitantly I should add."

"Oh, and why is that?"

"Well, long story short, while I was on Sauria they were looking after her and it . . . .uh, didn't go well." Fox reluctantly answered.

"Hm, what did she do to them?"

"From what I heard, they were playing hide and seek caught one in a net and dropped a bookcase on the other."

Fara doubled over laugh. "Are you kidding me?"

"Nope, they have the bruises to prove it. So I don't blame them for cautiously babysitting her. They tried to get Krystal to look after Vixy but she was busy settling in."

"Wait, you let Krystal look after our daughter?"

"Yes, she's great with Vixy, the two of them have gotten along extremely well." Fox replied. "Plus, Krystal's telepathy has helped her predict Vixy and keep from getting hurt, that gift is a miracle for watching children."

"Telepathy, you mean Krystal can read actually minds? I saw that in the report but I thought it was a mistake."

"Nope, she really does have that gift. She told me all Cerinians have that ability. I figured that out pretty quickly."

"Really, how so?" Fara asked.

"She's already pointed out exactly what I was thinking more than once, in ways that would be impossible without telepathy."

"Knowing you I wouldn't be surprised if she saw you thinking about doing her like a dog or something."

"That's more true than you realize." Fox uncomfortably rubbed the back of his head and getting an eye roll from Fara. "Just so you know, Fara, nothing is going on between me and Krystal right now."

"You could've fooled me." Fara replied in a joking tone. "You were very "eyes on" in that video. I could see you drooling."

"Very funny, you make it sound like I can't control myself around beautiful vixens."

"You were never able to around me."

Fox couldn't help but smirk. "True, though we were married, that's what married couples do."

"You were like that even before we were married. But I suppose I'm to blame too, I did lead you on multiple times."

"That you did, but I assure you it's not the same with Krystal, I only just met her."

"I know, though your expression from the video and by what Peppy told me it sounds like you're thinking with your little head instead of your big head." Fara replied.

"Uh, what did Peppy tell you?"

"Not much beyond you agreed to let her join the team after one meeting and no display of skill. In the business world such things almost always is a sign of advancement through sexual activities."

"Ah, yeah I can see where you'd get that impression." Fox said trying hard not to blush. "Just to be clear, she is technically not on the team, I'm taking her to Macbeth to see what she's capable of."

"So you're going to have Daria test her out?"

Fox looked at the Fara hologram shocked for a moment. Daria's deployment on Macbeth was classified information, as was all Tier1 activities, only family members outside of high-ranking military personnel were allowed to know that information. Even he was often unaware of her location.

"I'm allowed to keep tabs on Daria, we're still very close. Plus, being the CEO of the Cornerian Military's most relied on company has it's privileges." Fara said, laughing at Fox's expression.

"I wasn't aware you were that close to my sister."

"Of course we are, even though you and I are divorced that doesn't mean I can't be good friends with Daria. It make sense you'd go to her, she is a certified badass."

"Of course, if anyone can accurately and unbiased investigation into Krystal's skill it's Daria. If she doesn't think that Krystal doesn't have what it takes then I'm afraid I can't in good consciousness let her on the team." Fox replied.

"Hm, a rational decision from you, that's almost unheard of. Still, that's a good idea, at least I know you're not letting a random, sexy as hell vixen join the most famous mercenary team in the Lylat System just because she looks gorgeous in a strapless bra and loincloth."

"Is that jealously I detect in your tone?"

Fara shook her head with a slight smile. "I'm not going to deny it . . . yes I am jealous. That should be obvious."

"All because you saw a video of me gazing at her?"

"No, because of what Peppy told me. It's kind of hard for a woman not to be jealous when a more beautiful woman comes into the attention of a man she still has feelings for."

Fox looked down at the ground, unsure how to respond. He had a suspicion ever since he heard that Fara saw the video of him and Krystal on Sauria that she was jealous of her. Their conversation confirmed that but only then had he began to see how impacted by it Fara was. He was kind surprised that she was responding in such a way to a short video and what Peppy told her. If they were still married it would expect it, but they weren't. Fara had always been a little jealous in the past whenever a beautiful woman talked to Fox but seeing her at that moment was beyond what he'd seen in the past. It made him a little uncomfortable but he still tried to remain calm, saying the wrong thing could get a very powerful vixen made at him.

"I'm not sure if this helps, Fara, but you should know that at this moment, nothing is going on between me and Krystal. We're just friends and I'm only helping her get settled in somewhere. There is no reason to be jealous."

Fara shook her head. "That sounded kind of cliché, Fox, though you do have a small point. At the moment, I don't have much of a reason to be jealous, you're not banging her or anything like that. Besides, we're not married or technically a couple so it's not like you're breaking any law or being dishonorable by flirting with her . . .as long as that's all you're doing."

"What do you mean by at this moment?"

"I mean, right now, you technically haven't done anything wrong besides stare at a gorgeous woman. However, I got a feeling Krystal could change that easily with some flirting.

"I'll admit it's kind of hard to tell with Krystal if she really is flirting with me or if she's just teasing me. She's a hard woman to guess."

"I'd say it's a little bit of both. Vixens are some of the most unpredictable females in existence. Still, I slightly trust your judgement . . . most of the time." Fara said smiling at Fox. "Just be careful with Krystal, you do have a weakness for beautiful vixen's."

"I know, I married you after all." Fox replied with a smirk, getting a laugh from Fara.

"Very funny foxy boy, you haven't changed a bit."

"Of course, I guess I inherited it from my dad, he was a smooth talker."

"Oh I know." Fara said, shaking her head. "Well, I've taken up enough of your time, I got work to do with the data you sent us. I'll let you go Fox."

"No problem, Fara, take care."

"You too Fox."

Fara's hologram shut off leaving Fox alone. He let out a laugh that he'd been holding in since Fara mentioned Krystal. After Peppy and Slippy told him that she'd seen the video of him with Krystal on top of the Krazoa Palace he'd been worried how she'd respond. It surprised him that she handled it so well, though he had a feeling she was saving the real talk for the next time they were together. In a case, Fox was glad he got off so easily for the moment, though even he was aware of her jealously, she'd always been a little jealous when beautiful women spoke to him.

 _Same old Fara, she hasn't changed at all either._ Fox thought as he turned around and headed towards the door.

Fox exited the briefing room to see Krystal leaning against the wall, apparently waiting on him. He cautiously approached her, knowing that her telepathy probably picked up on his conversation with Fara.

Krystal smiled at Fox as she pushed off the way and stood before him. "Well, that went better than I thought."

"Yeah, I expected it to go worse. Sorry about Admiral Hood, he can be a bit of an ass."

"It's fine, I've had worse introductions. I'm just happy Fara didn't yell at you."

"Nah, she's a professional, Fara wouldn't do that in front of such important people." Fox said the smirked. "She can be quite reasonable."

"I'll be sure not to be there for that."

"That'd probably be best, just to be on the safe side."

"You're not wrong, though you got plenty of time till then so relax and plan it out." Krystal replied.

"I know, we can do that on Macbeth, though I can't say how much relaxing we'll be doing since we have to evaluate and train you. Besides, the planet isn't the most relaxing anyway so don't expect much down time."

"That's what I figured, though don't we have quite a lot of time before we get there?"

"Yes, we should be there early tomorrow morning." Fox answered. "So, try to get as much rest as you can today because we're going to be incredibly busy as soon as we arrive."

"Good, I hate standing around."

"Glad to hear it. Go get something to eat, I'll catch up with you later."

"You are not going to join me?" Krystal asked.

"I already at, besides I got some business with Vixy and Peppy to discuss."

"Ah, well good luck with that. Take care, Fox, see you soon."

"See you later Krystal."

Krystal turned around and walked down the hallway, swaying her hips back and forth slowly. The skin tight pants she was wearing left little to the imagination for Fox who found himself staring intently as she walked away. Sure her rear wasn't as nice as Fara's but it was still pretty nice. It took everything Fox had to snap his mind out of it upon realizing that Krystal's telepathy no doubt picked up on his thoughts.

 _Okay, I'm certain that vixen is teasing me, and is probably going to get me killed._

To be continued

* * *

So nearly everything is out in the open now. It's become known that a Cornerian fleet invaded Cerinia and that Krystal is a direct descendant of the guy who stopped it. At least Krystal has no aggression towards Corneria about it. With all this known what will the future hold? 

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	13. Truth and Surprise Attack

Here we are, again, the next chapter of Star Fox Annihilation. I'm still surprised I've made it this far with the inspiration I've had, hopefully it keeps up.

Another shot chapter lies a head, though it should have some fan service to the Fox x Krystal lovers, who doesn't love the thought of Krystal in a bikini. 

Hopefully the combat scene will be great, as I've said multiple times, aerial combat isn't my specialty. I know it kind of comes out of nowhere but it sets up am short arc for later on.

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 12: Truth Surprise Attack

Great Fox spa room

 _Finally, time to relax._ Fox grumbled to himself as he entered the spa room wrapped in just a towel over his swim suit.

The spa room wasn't much, mainly just a hot tub with a bench nearby though them tub was top of the line able to fit five people with jets specifically located for maximum effect and two unique sitting positions. Every time Fox used it he was so relaxed afterwards that he hated leaving it, and had to lie down afterwards to let the relaxation wash off. He was glad Fara had the spa put in not long after she and Fox officially started dating, she knew they needed a place to relax after a hard mission. The only problem was that she had purposely limited the amount of time anyone could be in the spa, he still hadn't figured out how, but she knew that if she didn't they'd probably never leave.

After the week Fox's had, finally getting some time to relax was going to feel good. With Vixy in bed, sound asleep and everyone else either sleeping or hanging out in the recreation room, it was his first opportunity to finally enjoy himself alone and he wasn't going to waste it. Fox sat his towel on the nearby bench and headed towards the hot tub. He slowly entered, feeling the warm water splash over his leg, causing him to softly moan.

 _Ah, this feels soooooo gooooood._ Fox thought as he slid into the water.

After who knows how long, Fox was awakened from his trance by the sound of a spa door opening. A loud sigh escaped his mouth at the thought of someone else sharing his private moment. The last thing he wanted to do was share the hot tub with someone when he desired to be alone. After the stress of the past few days the only thing he really wanted was a few moments to himself so he could calm down and relax.

 _Great, can I ever get some alone time on this ship._ Fox growled to himself.

Fox turned around to respond only for his jaw to drop when he saw who was standing at the entrance and what she looked like. At the door stood Krystal wearing just a towel wrapped around her body. The towel barely covered her body, seeming to hang by her large breasts and stop just below her rear, giving Fox a very pleasant view of her legs. As if on que Krystal dropped the towel which pooled around her ankles and the view he got nearly made his brain explode. From the distance she stood at, to Fox she looked to be entering the spa wearing nothing but a smile.

Krystal shook her head as she approached the hot tub, appearing to strut while she walked. "I know, it looks like I'm naked, but I assure you I'm not. I don't know you well enough to get into a hot tub naked with you."

As Krystal got closer Fox began to make out what appeared to be clothing covering her breasts and groin. It wasn't till she was nearly too the hot tub that he could see that she was wearing a blue bikini and swim bottom. Both were close to same shade of blue of Krystal's fur, giving her the impression of being naked at a distance. However, even up close it was still pretty revealing. The bikini was barely big enough to cover her nip plies, leaving lots of cleavage for Fox to gaze at, even more than the Cerinian strapless bra she was wearing when they first met. The strap wrapped around the back of her neck and seemed to support her large breasts even more, giving them a very firm appearance. The bottom itself appeared more almost to be just a thong but big enough to get decent. Fox could feel his heart racing a million miles an hour just looking at Krystal, while another part of his body seemed to be working hard to take control. It took nearly every mental aspect he had to keep from thinking dirty thoughts.

Krystal giggled as she stood at the edge of the hot tub. "Fox, I told you, it's okay for you to think dirty thoughts about me, it's only natural. Besides, I don't care if you stare at my body, I wouldn't be dressed like this if I didn't."

"I suppose you got a point." Fox replied letting out a sigh of relief. "I wasn't expecting to be bothered this late. Everyone else is either in bed or working. Somehow, I even got Vixy to go to sleep early. I figured it'd be one of the few times I've had to relax in a long time."

""Cannot say I blame, after everything I have been through I want some relaxation time too."

"Huh, I forgot that you've had a tough time recently too, being stuck for who knows how long in that crystal."

"Oh definitely, it is arguable over which one of us had it worse." Krystal said with a giggle. "So, do you mind if I join you?"

"Of course not, feel to join in if you want."

A big smile formed on Krystal's face as she walked around the pool to the side on Fox's right. She raised her right leg over the side and let out a soft moan at the feeling of the warm water on her toe. Moving slowly to seemingly enjoy the warm water as much as possible, she stepped over the side and slid into the water. Fox watched with great fascination as the water rose over Krystal's body as she lowered herself into the water. By the time she was fully seated the water was just above her bikini line, gently swaying the short blue furs of her breasts. Fox had to fight himself to keep from drooling at the sight. It was even better with her being less than a yard away from him.

"Almost feels as good as the Cerinian hot springs." Krystal said.

"Hm, I don't know whether to be insulted on complimented."

"Oh, why is that?"

"Well, this is a top of the line hot tub; at least it was at the time. Fara got it for us not long after the Lylat Wars ended." Fox answered. "It has some sentimental value to me."

"Because it's most likely the spot you and Fara conceived Vixy?"

Fox gasped and froze on the spot at Krystal's response. As usual, she was correct, given the amount of times he and Fara mated in it the hot tub it was probably where they made Vixy. He never told anyone that so it caught him off guard that Krystal guessed it. It took him a moment to realize her telepathy probably picked up on it, making him laugh.

"Uh, can you please not tell anyone about that?" Fox pleaded.

"I will not tell a soul, you have my word."

"Thank you."

"It is no problem." Krystal replied with a devilish smirk. "But yes, this hot tub is slightly less in quality than a Cerinian hot spring. The only thing it has over it is better seating. In a Cerinian hot spring there's only rocks and mud to sit on, though the water feels so good you would hardly notice. Possibly why they are the most popular mating places."

"Okay, that's more information than I wanted to hear."

"Just telling it like it is, Fox."

"Yeah, definitely sounds like you." Fox chuckled. "Let's just relax for now."

"You do not have to tell me twice."

Fox and Krystal leaned back into the water, letting the jets soothe their aching bodies. They closed their eyes, forgetting about time, just relaxing as the warm water rinsed over them. To Fox it felt like he was in heaven, the water and jets loosening the knots and pain he accumulated from his Saurian adventure. It was even better having what could be considered the most gorgeous vixen in Lylat, in very revealing clothing, seated so close to him. Every now and then, Fox would cast the occasional glance at Krystal, his gaze falling on her gorgeous curves shamefully covered by a small piece of cloth. The view was almost as pleasant as the water itself. She hardly moved once the entire time, keeping her eyes closed and not even acknowledging him when he looked at her. There was no telling how long they remained quiet in the hot tub, though to Fox it felt so good he would hardly care if it was forever, too bad he knew nothing lasted forever.

"Well, Fara seemed like a pretty nice woman from what little I saw. It was hard to gather much on her." Krystal said in a soft, relaxed voice, breaking the silence. "I learned today that telepathy doesn't work on holograms so I couldn't learn much about her my usual way."

"Really, your telepathy doesn't work on holograms?"

"Apparently not, I did not know about that till today. I believe it is because holograms do not have minds, so reading them is impossible."

Fox looked at Krystal a little puzzled. "So you're telepathy has limitations?"

"Yes, though it depends on how I use it. At a basic level, reading what is currently on a person's mind; I can be a significant distance from them and still read their minds. However, if we are linked that is a big boost."

"Linked what does that mean?"

Krystal seemed to think about it for a moment before replying. "Well, best way I can think to describe it is when two individuals, at least one of them being a telepath, link their minds together. This is something usually done between mates as it is a very connective link giving the two complete access to each other's minds."

"So, it's like a communicator connection to an extent?"

"I can you can say that, they are linked in a similar manner and can communicate to each other without words and over insane distances. There are stories of linked couples being able to communicate with each other on the other side of a star system. So, really linked minds have very few limitations."

Fox looked at Krystal in amazement. "Wow, that's incredible."

"I guess, I have not really thought about it since I grew up on Cerinia where everyone is a telepath. I have to remind myself that you and everyone else around is not constantly."

"And I had to get used to having someone around that can read all my dirty thoughts."

"I imagine that is quite difficult." Krystal replied with a laugh. "I should point out that we Cerinians are capable of completely reading a person's mind though that has quite a few limitations, like I have to be looking into your eyes for that to happen."

"Huh, I guess that's a good thing . . . to an extent. It does explain how you're not able to read holograms. That must've been weird for you."

"It was, I would have liked to been able to read Fara's mind more than anyone that was in the room, except possibly Admiral Hood. At least then I could know what she was thinking about us."

"Trust me, I'd like to read her mind too, maybe then I could finally understand her." Fox said getting a laugh from Krystal. "I can't say if Fara liked you, so just be cautious around her."

"I have not been around her yet but I will when that happens. The last thing I want to do is cause a fight between the two of you."

"That wouldn't be anything unusual, we've had plenty of fights before. I can't recall ever winning an argument against her."

A soft giggle escaped Krystal's mouth. "That does not surprise me, from the meeting she seemed like a master debater."

"You have no idea. She has a way of getting a point across that makes it nearly impossible to debate against her. I've learned to just shake my head and say yes."

"Wuss."

Fox looked at Krystal to see that she has a slight grin, causing him to sarcastically shake his head. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just be careful and friendly around Fara when you meet her. "

"I intend to, I will do what I can to avoid a fight."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome." Krystal replied. "I just hope things can go smoothly between the two of us."

"So do I, having one beautiful vixen angry at me is bad enough, I don't think I can handle two." Fox said, getting a playful punch to the shoulder from Krystal.

"Very funny, Fox, you lucky you're cute."

"I'd settle just for lucky, which right now I would say I am."

A big, seductive smile formed on Krystal's face. "It is pretty obvious why you would say that. You are sharing a hot tub with a sexy vixen that's nearly naked."

"That telepathy of yours comes in handy for you to guess that."

"I did not need my telepathy to figure that out, it is written all over your face."

Fox blushed uncontrollably. "Huh, didn't realize it was that obvious."

"You might as well be wearing a sign stating it to everyone. Thankfully, you did not have that looking during the meeting."

"That's . . .a slight weight off my chest. I did want to talk to you about the meeting at some point."

Krystal rolled her eyes. "I know, though do we have to do it right now? I thought we were trying not to relax?"

"I wish we didn't but I wanted to talk to you privately about it and the chances of that happening any time soon are slime."

"Hm, point taken."

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning on asking any the personal." Fox replied, trying to assure Krystal. "Things got a little . . . unusual in there."

"I am pretty sure that's an understatement, then again, I did not know what to expect. I was worried something bad would happen."

"So was I, usually those meetings are pretty forward and boring. I just brief them on the mission and we talk a little about the results. You made it interesting . . . for once."

"Glad I could do that, and happy that it went much better than I thought it would." Krystal giggles as she positioned herself so the jets were hitting her sweet spot on her back. "Thanks for standing up for me in there, though I am sorry I didn't tell you about the Cornerian invasion sooner, I figured Cornerians knew about it."

"You're welcome and I got your back. Don't worry about the meeting, it at least made it interesting."

"True that, the look on Admiral Douchebag's face was priceless."

"Ha, I'm going to start calling him that from now on." Fox replied, making Krystal laugh. "I'm curious, Krystal, how was the invasion stopped, you didn't say in the meeting?"

"All we have on that are stories passed on down from generation to generation, so I cannot say how likely they are to believe, however, they all do basically say the same thing."

"Hm, from my experience, when multiple stories and sources state similar things chances are there is something true about it. So, go ahead and tell me if you."

"Alright, according to the old storied, the 274th fleet was gathered around one of the largest Cerinian energy pits, similar to the Krazoa Shrines on Sauria, when Megaloth approached them, alone. Everyone else had pulled back to the temple sanctuary. Using the energy pouring from the pit, he used his body as a conduit and absorbed the energy till his body couldn't handle it any more. He pulled the fleets as close to him as he could and when his body couldn't hold any more energy he detonated himself, with so much force that most of the fleet was reduced to ashes while those that were far away were so damaged they crashed on the surfaced, killing everyone on board."

Fox looked at Krystal shocked. "You're telling me that Megaloth turned himself into a giant energy bomb?"

"Yes, it is similar to what Andross did to me on Sauria while I was in the crystal, except that Megaloth was able to absorb a lot more and turn it into an explosion large enough to take out a fleet. There is still a massive crater on Cerinia where it happened that is littered with the 274th ships, well, the ones that were not completely obliterated by his explosion. The place serves as monument to the fallen and Megaloth even today."

"That's . . . just . . . incredible."

"It is, the wreckage that remains is evidence it happened. So if you are ever on Cerinia, I would not count on it happening, you will see for yourself." Krystal replied.

"Now that will be a sight to see. I got to ask, how did Megaloth get all those ships to stay so close near him."

"Megaloth was an insanely powerful telekinetic, he was able to use that to keep the 274th from fleeing from his explosion.

"Wait, Cerinians are capable of telekinesis?"

"Yes, though it's a rare gift but has become steadily more common in recent decades. Most have it to a very limited ability, they can only lift small objects. It's exceedingly rare for a Cerinian to be able to lift a person with their minds and only a select have been able to move vehicles."

"That's . . . incredible, I can't think of any other way to put it. So, are you capable of telekinesis?"

Krystal's eyes suddenly began glowing a bright blue. Fox nearly jumped back only to find himself rising out of the hot tub as if something unseen was lifting him. He rose slowly till he was fully out of the water and floating over Krystal. For a moment he stayed hovering till he was slowly lowered back down to his seat. He starred at Krystal in amazement only to see she was breathing deeply as if she was out of breath.

"I think that answers your question." Krystal said with a giggle.

"Wow, that's all I say. Looking at you I got to ask, doesn't it take a lot of energy? You didn't lift me that high but you looked exhausted."

"Yes, using telekinesis isn't as simple as reading a mind, you got to push you mind to an object and use mental force to lift it. It's like working out similar to how I've seen you and Miyu in the gym. Lifting you with my mind I guess could be equivalent to you bench pressing, as I think I heard Miyu call it, two hundred pounds."

"Whoa, I understand why you're exhausted." Fox exclaimed.

"Still better than most Cerinians who have developed telepathy. Compared to them I am considerably powerful. Unfortunately, we Cerinians are not as developed with telekinesis. Compared to how long my people have been capable of telepathy our development of telekinesis is still in its infancy."

"Huh, sounds to me that you got lucky when it comes to power or trained harder than others."

"Well, a lot of it is because I am a direct descendant of Megaloth." Krystal said.

"Wait, you're telling me that Megaloth, the guy who singlehandedly destroyed a Cornerian fleet, is your ancestor?"

"Yes, though we Cerinians are a little . . .loose when it comes to mating we keep a very detailed ancestral record. Even though Megaloth died three hundred years ago I know that I am descended from him. Unfortunately, according to the stories, I am nowhere near as powerful as Megaloth was, no Cerinian ever has been as telekinetically powerful as him."

"Really, why is that?" Fox asked.

"That is relatively unknown, though we do know without question that he was the first Cerinian to develop telekinesis. There are a LOT of stories surrounding Megaloth, it is questionable how many of them are true."

"Okay, that doesn't really make sense to me, how could the first guy who developed telekinesis be so powerful that no one since then can even compare to him. I'd call that suspicious to say the least."

"I agree, he only told one person how he got his abilities, his wife, and even then he was cryptic." Krystal answered. "He said it was a gift to him from a divine being who told him that he'd use it to protect the Cerinians from a grave threat. Though Megaloth didn't know what enemy at the time it quickly became clear when the 274th fleet showed up it was them."

Fox looked down at the water deep in thought for a moment. If what Krystal said was true there was too much evidence for it to be coincidental. Even though it was currently impossible for her to prove any of it he found himself believing her.

"If that's true then it does explain quite a bit. Unfortunately, it doesn't explain why there has been no one since then who could compete with his power." Fox said.

"I know, we have been trying to figure that out for centuries with no success. For it to be a one-time thing, and yet hundreds have Cerinians have developed telekinesis but to be nowhere near his power, it does not make sense, at least scientifically it doesn't. There are still plenty of stories and beliefs about Megaloth that tend to be on the spooky side."

"Spooky side, what does that mean?"

Krystal seemed to think about it for a moment before answering. "Well, it is more of a story or rumor that mothers tell their children at night to help them sleep. Basically, it is believed that when Megaloth sacrificed himself to save Cerinia from the 274th fleet that he did not fully die, only his body did while his spirit and mind survived. It is told that he loved Cerinia and wanted to keep protecting it that even though his body died his spirit watches over Cerinia, waiting for a grave threat to return so that he can rise again and protect us."

"Huh, that's . . . .interesting, to say the least, and slightly horrifying at the same time."

"I agree, though it does out the people at ease for them to believe that the great and powerful Megaloth will defend us. I have questioned it though from time to time but that is a completely different subject." Krystal answered, then leaned back letting out a pleasurable moan as she seemed to enjoy the jets. "Enough about that Fox, this is relaxation time, so let's relax."

"I can agree to that, we can discuss more later."

A nod from Krystal was all the assurance Fox needed. With no other word said, he leaned back in his seat and felt and jets and warm water take him away mentally. The water felt so good at he found himself in almost a dreamlike state in hardly any time at all. All worries and concerns left him as he relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever.

 _Now this is paradise._ Fox thought as he tried to remain awake.

Fox suddenly felt something furry press against his shoulder. He turned his head and nearly jumped out of his seat to see Krystal sitting beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. Somehow he didn't hear her move and she did it so quickly that he didn't even notice. Having her against him in such a loving manner was nearly too much and Fox found himself having to take deep breaths to calm down. He definitely enjoyed it though the suddenness of it caught him completely off guard. What got Fox anxious was the view he had looking slightly down, right at Krystal's cleavage. He could see down into Krystal's bikini that did almost a nonexistent job of hiding her breasts from him. From his position, Fox had a perfect view at her amazing breasts, able to see everything but her nipples. He found himself unable to look away, having to nearly physically pull himself away from the view before his animalistic side took control. With much hesitation he looked away and focused on the wall, reluctantly deciding it'd be best to just relax and focus on anything besides Krystal's perfect cleavage.

Just as Fox was about to fall asleep the alarm by the door sounded, snapping him back to reality. He quickly turned around and realized it was the proximity alarm that Slippy set up years ago to alert them to possible attacks. It worked so well that Fox knew ignoring it was a horrible and possibly last mistake idea. He and Krystal jumped out of the pool and ran towards the intercom system by the door.

"Rob, what's going on out there?" Fox shouted over the alarms.

"My sensors picked up a group of unregistered star craft approaching the ship. At first I thought that they were just civilian craft but then they began heading towards us at unusually high speeds which peaked my concern. The scanners show they are Venom Interceptor class."

 _Damn it, only Venom rebels use those, and only they keep their ships unregistered so they can't be traced._ Fox thought. "You sure about this Rob?"

"Yes, due to the circumstances I believe they are not friendly."

"Of course not, they're Venom rebels most likely looking to take us out to avenge Andross and gain some reputation."

"Gain some reputation?" Krystal asked, appearing to be confused.

"Of course, anyone who takes out Star Fox would probably be living like a king afterwards, especially on Venom. We did play a major role in the Lylat Wars and I did kill Andross, multiple times, so obliviously I get a lot of hate against them."

"Hm, makes sense I guess."

Fox nodded then turned back to the intercom. "How far away are they right now?"

"Currently they are a thousand miles away but closing quickly. At the speed they're moving at by my calculations we have five minutes before they arrive."

"That doesn't give us much time then. Tell Falco, Miyu and Fay to get to the hangar as quickly as possible. Have the fighters prepped and ready for launch by the time I get there."

"At once, Fox, defenses will be ready though it'll take time before they're fully up. They haven't been upgraded or repaired in two years or used in four years."

Fox groaned to himself, hating the lack of preparation they were in. It wasn't fully his fault since Star Fox had a lack of funding problem for years; they simply didn't have the money to keep the Great Fox updated and barely enough to keep up repairs. It wasn't till they completed the Saurian Crisis contract that Star Fox had the funds to upgrade the Great Fox and then some. That was the main reason Fox ordered them to go to Macbeth, for repairs and upgrades, he had no idea they'd be attacked along the way.

"Alright Rob, just get everything ready as much as possible. Make sure at least that the hangar is open so we can deploy fighters."

"At once sir."

Fox ended the call then turned to Krystal and ordered. "Krystal, find Vixy and make sure she's safe. She should be in my quarters, probably awake after that alarms went off."

"Of course, I will keep her safe as if she was my own daughter."

X

Fox turned to the hanger to see Falco, Fay, and Miyu already there. He wasn't surprised they beat him, he had to get fully dressed before heading down. They looked at him unafraid but each looked dead tired, probably from being woken up in the middle of the night, by Cornerian time. None of them looked happy but he was glad they didn't appear to be angry, given the situation they didn't really have a reason to be angry. Fox knew Rob had filled them in on the situation, he was programmed for that, so he wouldn't have to waste time explaining what was going on.

"You guys don't look like you're to kill some Venomians." Fox said as Falco, Fay, and Miyu stood up to acknowledge his presence.

"We're as ready as we're going to be after having just fallen asleep only to be woken up by Rob screaming that Venomians are attacking." Miyu said rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Could be worse, at least this is just a small group." Falco added.

"True, but these caught us at the worst possible time, the advantage is on their side, and it'll be even worse if they reach us before we're out there." Fay responded.

"I agree, which reminds me." Fox said then turned to the intercom. "Rob, how close is the enemy?"

"Two hundred and twenty seven miles away approximately and approaching fast. They will be within attack range in less than a minute."

"Then we got to be out there before they arrive." Fox said, then pressed the intercom button that connected it to the bridge. "Slippy, Peppy, are the defenses ready?"

"We're here, Fox, defenses are up as best we can. I would advise them keep them from getting close." Peppy replied.

"Thanks Peppy, open the hangar bay and disengage the ships."

"At once."

Fox released the intercom button and turned to Falco, Fay, and Miyu. "You guys ready to kick some Venomians ass?"

"Always." Fay said with a dark smile that Fox rarely saw on her.

"That's a question that doesn't need to be asked." Miyu replied with a sadistic look that sent chills down Fox's spine.

"It's been so long that I almost forgot how it feels. Of course I'm ready." Falco said giving Fox a nod.

"Then let's get out there and show this sacks of morons what happens when they have the stupidity to cross Star Fox." Fox shouted, getting cheers from the other.

Fox, Falco, Fay, and Miyu sprinted towards their fighters with Fox being the first to make it. He jumped over the side and landed expertly in his seat like he'd done so many times before. Within moments he had his Arwing switched on and ready to go, looking around him he saw that the others were as well. A quick look out of the hangar and he was able to see the Venom Interceptors fast approaching, having them so close and for himself and his team to be so far behind did not help his confidence. Fox swallowed his fear and pressed the button, ejecting himself out of the hangar and into space first, followed by Falco, Miyu, and the Fay.

"Alright everyone, take position on me."

Fox took the lead position with Falco positioning himself on his right, Fay took position on his left, and Miyu positioned herself at the rear forming a diamond shaped formation. Up ahead, the Venom Interceptors broke formation and flew towards them all at once as if they were racing each other to be the first to engage. A few fired wild shots at them only to not even come close to landing a hit, let alone cause Fox and his team to worry.

"Wait for signal then unleash hell." Fox ordered as they drew near the Venom Interceptors.

The two groups continued to approach each other with the Venomians firing wildly at Star Fox and missing badly. Though as the gap closed Fox found himself having to occasionally dodge a shot but still did it with ease. He could almost feel Falco, Fay, and Miyu's need to start blasting and break off but knew was aware that they knew he'd give them the order at the right moment. Open fire too soon and the Venomians would break rank and the distance would make things a problem pretty quick for Star Fox. Fox wanted to wait for just the right moment to open fire when it was to their advantage, making the Venomians easy targets for them.

"NOW, SEND THEM TO HELL!" Fox ordered when there was nearly a quarter mile between them.

Fox, Falco, Fay, and Miyu suddenly broke ranks and unleashed a volley at the Venomians with such ferocity that almost immediately they dealt incredible damage to them, taking out nearly a quarter of them. The Venomians broke apart in every direction but by then it was too late, Fox, Falco, Fay, and Miyu had the initiative destroying several more as they went their different directions. In an instant the dogfight had turned into a giant shooting gallery in Star Fox's favor as each had no problem taking shots at the multitude of targets. However, it didn't last more than more a few seconds as soon the Venomians were everywhere and no longer bunched together, causing Star Fox to break apart and chase after targets that outnumbered them. Everyone broke away from Fox and started picking any target they could, hoping to take out as many as they could in the short amount of time they had before the Venomians recovered.

Fox immediately pursued a group of three Venomians that tried to break away by banking up. They broke away quickly causing Fox to pull up as hard as he could, making it extremely difficult for him to get an accurate shot. Since his Arwing only possessed the single laser he lacked the firepower to release a charged shot at them. At best, he was able to lock onto the closest Interceptor and fire. His shot pursued and scored a direct hit, destroying the Interceptor's wing. Fox quickly accelerated for an accurate shot and fired again, destroying his target with ease, though the other two had banked in opposite directions, making him have to choose which one to pursue. He chose the one on the right as he was closer and lurched his Arwing as fast as he could to catch up. The Venomians hardly seemed to notice as he barley turned or performed any evasive maneuvers, making him an easy target for Fox who fired multiple shots looking to score a hit. Two of his shots were direct hits, one on the tail and the other on the hull, successfully destroying his target. However, no sooner did his first public target explode he saw the other Venomians accelerating towards him.

 _Huh, using your teammate as a distraction so you could get behind me, that's pretty cold._ Fox thought as the Venomians closed in on him and fired.

Fox easily dodged the incoming fire, expertly using the opportunity to turn his Arwing into near perfect firing position. Not asking the opportunity, he fired three shots from as best an angle he could hope forward towards his target. The first two shots missed but the third successfully hit the Interceptor on the hull, successfully destroying it.

 _Almost too easy._ Fox thought.

Out of the corner of his eye Fox saw Falco having some slight trouble taking out a Venomians while three more tried to close in on him. He immediately turned to him his friend just as Falco finished off the one he was pursuing, by then the other three were about ready to swarm him. As soon as Falco realized it he accelerated to avoid to oncoming fire just in time to avoid getting hit. Fox, thanks to his approach from under them, was out of their view and he was certain they were too focused on Falco to notice him. As soon as he was close enough Fox opened fire on the front Venomians, scoring a hit on the underside of his Interceptor, resulting in an immediate explosion.

"Thanks Fox, I owe you one." Falco shouted.

"You're welcome bird boy."

Fox immediately banked away from Falco to see a lone Venomians turning back towards Fay. He turned his Arwing as sharply as he could and within barely a moment he was behind the Venomians who seemed to have no idea to his presence. In a matter of seconds he had his target in his sights and fired a successful shot, scoring a hit on his rear and blowing his tail off. The Venomians Interceptor faltered in its flight hardly long enough to avoid making himself a shooting duck. A second shot from Fox was enough to blow him out of the sky, leaving one less enemy Fox had to deal with.

"Fox, you got one on your tail." Miyu shouted, getting Fox's attention.

Fox turned his head in time to see a Venomians fire at him from behind. His body reacted before his mind comprehended, allowing him to turn his fighter just enough to avoid taking a hit. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth as the laser flew past him though it didn't last as the Venomians kept on firing at himself, keeping Fox on his toes. The Venomians was too close for Fox to break away, firing shot after shot that he was barely able to avoid.

 _How he hell did I let this guy get so close._ Fox thought as he dodged another shot.

"I got you Fox." Miyu's voice echoed over the radio.

Fox glanced up to see Miyu flying towards him. Knowing what she was doing, he banked his Arwing to the right as she quickly approached, giving her an opportune shot. Miyu opened fired with a well-placed shot, hitting the Venomians Interceptor on the nose, and was rewarded with a small explosion.

"Thanks Miyu."

"Of course, keep your eyes all around you big guy." Miyu replied as she turned around.

Fox nodded even though he knew she wouldn't see it. He quickly turned his Arwing around too, looking for a new target, only to see that the dogfight was still not favoring either side. Even though the numbers were against them Fox was glad it was Venom Interceptors trying to take them out. Against a standard Cornerian star fighter the Venom Interceptor would be challenge. Their speed made them a formidable fighter against standard pilots as they were arguably as fast as the Cornerian fighters and slightly more agile with their wingspan. However, their weakness was in their light armor and low grade weapons. A single, well placed shot could destroy them if it hit right and they lacked the fire power to do significant damage to, often times only possessing a single laser. That's why Venom Interceptors often attacked in large numbers and used ambush tactics, which often worked against inexperienced targets. However, against the Star Fox Arwing, and a Venom Interceptor was pointless, especially if a Star Fox pilot as in the cockpit, unless they were outnumbered.

"Fox, I could use some help here." Fay called out.

Fox looked up to see Fay being pursued by two Interceptors. He quickly yanked his Arwing up in her direction and accelerated towards her just as the two Interceptors were getting close. Once one of them was in his sights he opened fire like crazy, trying more to get him off of Fay than to destroy him at that distance. One of his shots was on target enough to clip the nose of the Interceptor doing significant damage and crippling it, making him an easy target for Fox to finish off with an accurate shot. Before he could turn to the next Interceptor it backed off of Fay and turned as Fox flew past.

"Thanks Fox, that was a close one." Fay said as she turned her fighter towards Fox. "I hate calling out for help like Slippy."

"Hey, I heard that." Fox heard Slippy's high pitched so suddenly that it caused him to jump.

"Sorry, Slippy."

"Don't worry about it Fay, just focus on the fight." Fox said.

"I'm trying to, but it seems to even. They got the numbers to balance out with our superior firepower and experience. At this point it's too even to call."

"I agree, if only we have one or two more we could turn it in our favor enough for victory."

"Uh, Fox, we have another ship approaching, this one is alone?" Miyu's surprised voice came in over the radio as if on que.

Fox quickly looked down at his radar to see that Miyu was right. He peered off into the direction that radar detected the new fighter to see a small speck quickly approaching. Though he kept most of his attention on the Venomians flying to shoot him down he eyed the approaching fighter as best as he could without getting shot. Thankfully, the Venomians were poor shots so Fox had little trouble avoiding them. Once the new fighter was close enough he almost immediately recognized the design, the sight of it nearly making him jump in his seat with excitement.

"Wait, that's the Cat's Paw . . . Katt Monroe." Fox shouted as he dodged another shot.

Over the radio, Fox heard several gasps at his response as he assumed they all looked in the new fighter's direction for confirmation only to see that it was indeed Katt a moment later. The dogfight seemed to come to a standstill as the new arrival approached at breakneck speed, arriving within range in a few moments. Seeing Katt brought both excitement to fear into Fox as he remembered the last time they were together four years ago. Instead of focusing on it, he gave his attention to the Venomians as they seemed to be stunned seeing a new fighter joining the fray. Everyone else seemed ecstatic to see her, at least that was Fox's guess by the radio chatter.

"Hey guys, mind if I join the party, you look like you could use some help with the decorations." Katt's sarcastic and enthusiastic voice sounded off over the radio.

Before anyone could reply, Katt sped into the dogfight at nearly full speed, unleashing a volley of fire at any Venomians in her path. She immediately scored a hit on one fighter's hull, blowing him up before she was even in the middle of the fight. Another Venomians caught a round on his wing, blowing it off and making him an easy target for Fay to finish off, followed by a successful hit on another that blew him up. She flew right through the middle of the dogfight, nearly ramming into a Venomians in the process. Once through she performed a U-turn and ended up directly behind a Venomians that was trying to nail Miyu's rear, firing several shots before taking him out.

 _Dang, Katt sure knows how to make an entrance._ Fox thought as he positioned himself behind another Venomians.

The dynamic of the fight changed in an instant after Katt's entrance with the Venomians breaking off their attacks on Fox and the others and most focusing on Katt. It was a move that made Fox almost face palm himself; Katt had made such an impactful entrance that the Venomians considered her more a threat than the Star Fox team and saw her as a priority target. It was a horrible move for them as by focusing on Katt they were making themselves targets to an even better and more numerable force. They attempted to swarm over Katt as Fox, Falco, Fay, and Miyu positioned themselves together a short distance away from Katt.

"Well guys, we can't let the feline have all the fun can we?" Fox shouted to the others.

He heard Falco, Fay, and Miyu cheer in his earpiece, nearly making him wench from the suddenness and loudness of it. They quickly formed a triangle formation around Fox like they did earlier and pressed towards what remained of their Venom attackers who were flocking around Katt. Once close enough they opened fire like crazy, blasting at anything with the Venom symbol on it. Within moments only eight of the Venom Inceptors remained and they scattered, making them easy targets for Fox and the others. Fox positioned himself behind what he assumed was the lead Venomians and pursued him closely, trying to get an accurate shot though the guy was slippery.

"Long time no see Katt." Fox heard Falco say over the radio as he got the Venomians in his sights, fired, but the guy turned at the last moment making his shot barely miss.

"Around four years, way too long fly boy. We need to make up for that sometime."

"Hm, I look forward to that."

Fox shudder in his cockpit, nearly throwing off his aim as his closed in on the Venom Interceptor in front of him. He knew what Katt meant by "make up" time and he hoped that Vixy wasn't listening over the radio so she wouldn't ask him what that meant later. Given the situation he had to quickly remove the thought from his mind and focus back on trying to blow away his target.

"So, Katt, you're not still mad at me are you?" Fox asked as he fired on the Venomians, hitting his wing and blowing it off, followed quickly by a second shot that destroyed him.

"Not as much as I was but, hey, time heals nearly everything. I'm helping you guys right now ain't I."

"True, though I assume mostly out of professional courtesy."

"You're not entirely wrong, but a lot of it has to do with helping old friends." Katt replied as Fox saw her score a successful hit on her target's rear.

"Guys, please, focus on the task at hand." Fay's angry voice called out, something they've rarely seen. "You can catch up and 'snuggle' later."

Fox heard Falco and Katt sigh over the radio followed by sighs of relief from Fay and Miyu. They had gotten sick and tired of Falco and Katt's nonstop PDA, thankfully that had stopped over the last four years, though hearing them talk like that didn't make Fox feel easy. He was worried they'd stat talking innuendos over the radio in the middle of a dogfight, even more concerned that Vixy would hear it. It made him at ease to know that they had stopped, for the time being.

Fox u-turned towards the dogfight to see that it was almost over. Falco and Katt were chasing a single target together, Fay had a damaged interceptor in her sights and was trying to take him out, and Miyu was trying to score a hit on one who was a good distance away from her and appearing to be fleeing. Fox only saw one Venomians still a potential target who appeared to be trying to get behind Miyu but wasn't having any success. He quickly accelerated his Arwing towards the Venomians just as he seemed to be closing in on Miyu without her knowledge. He fired multiple shots at the Venomians catching him off guard and scoring a hit on his hull, blowing off his left wing and opening a large hole. The Venomians was an easy target as Fox fired a precise shot and was rewarded with an explosion.

 _Finally, we're almost done._ Fox thought ecstatically as he turned around to help the others only to see that they didn't need it.

Falco and Katt scored a hit at the same time on the Venomians they were pursing, causing quite a large explosion. Looking at Fay, he saw her score a direct hit on her direct resulting in his destruction. Finally, he turned to Miyu to see her land a charged shot on her target, taking out the last Venomians interceptor in the group, ending the dogfight, with Star Fox taking little to no damage.

"Huh, that was easier than I thought it'd be." Falco's voice echoed over the radio.

"A little too easy if you ask me." Miyu added.

"There could be more coming or reinforcements we didn't see." Peppy said.

"I doubt it, Rob would've alerted us if more were coming." Fox responded. "I think they're just getting desperate and tying anything to take us out."

"Fox is right, that was just a random group, if a manner of speaking, and that had to be flying in this area when they spotted you." Fox hear Katt's calm voice, somehow detecting a hint of flirting that was typical of her. "Pretty usual of you Fox, being at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Fox rolled his eyes as he flew beside his team, leading them back to the Great Fox. Dealing with Katt was difficult to say to least, particularly after the event on Titania four years ago. The only good thing that changed was Katt stopped flirting with him afterwards. Prior to that, she flirted with him so much that he was certain she was trying to get him into a threesome with her and Falco. As enticing as it sounded he turned it down, he already at Fara at the time and there was no chance he was stabbing her in the back like that, even after they divorced.

"So Katt, what are you doing in this part of space?" Fox asked.

"Not much, just doing whatever work comes my way. In this sector of the system there's no shortage of work . . . if you're lacking on a moral compass."

"That's why I don't like working in this sector."

"Yeah, yeah, I know you Fox, you won't take on any contract that you think is dishonorable or questionable." Katt replied in her sarcastic voice. "For a mercenary that's not a popular attitude."

"I know, you've said it before. Still, thank you for your help."

"Oh my, getting a thank you from the legendary Fox McCloud, that truly is an honor."

"Okay Katt, that's enough on the sarcasm." Fay responded, Fox sensing some anger in her voice.

"Nice to see you too Fay." Katt replied sarcastically without missing a beat. "It's been a pleasure guys but I got to work to do so we'll catch up later."

"Dang it, I was hoping to have some 'adult fun time' with my best lady." Falco's voice chimed over the radio with a sarcastic and disappointed sound, though Fox knew he was serious. "Take care of yourself Katt."

"You too fly boy."

Fox turned his fighter to head back to the Great Fox along with Falco, Fay, and Miyu with him in the rear. Before he could make it too close he saw Katt approach him from his rear out of the corner of his eye. She flew right beside him, close enough that he could see her in the cockpit and she waved at him, seeming to get his attention.

"Oh, before I forget, Fox, eventually I'll need your help with something." Katt said.

"That depends, is it illegal or morally questionable? With you, Katt, I have to ask that question."

"No, it's not, at least I don't think it is. Basically, a friend of mine got himself into some trouble, borrowed money from the wrong people, and now he's got a month to pay it back."

"Hm, I know that feeling all too well." Fox said with a smirk.

"Very funny, unfortunately, there is no possible way he can get the money by the time they gave him."

"Who did he burrow money from?"

"From a loan shark, one that happens to work for the Snake Cartel." Katt answered.

"Dang, your friend's an idiot."

"I know, I warned him multiple times but he was desperate, now it seems like he's in deep trouble."

"That is putting it lightly, those who cross the Snake Cartel, or can't pay them back, have been known to end up on life support, or without life at all."

"That's why I need to help him. He's an old friend and has helped me through some tough times. I'm just asking for your help in matter."

"You're asking me to help your friend fight against the Snake Cartel?" Fox blurted out.

"No, just protect him, though I'm not sure how yet. Hopefully it'll just be a matter of getting him off the planet, though knowing the Snake Cartel I doubt it'll be that simple."

"It never is, I know from experience, that's why I don't have a good reputation with them."

"Yeah, I know about the bounty they have on you. Fortunately, no one has been brave enough to attempt anything." Katt replied with a giggle. "Thankfully, with my friend I got time to plan things out. So, can you help me or not?"-

"Uh, I'll think about it, no guarantees."

"Thanks, there's no real rush so take your time. You got a month or so to make up your mind. I'll message you when I need your response."

Before Fox could say anything Katt turned her fighter from him and speed off as quickly as she could. Within moments she was out of view leaving him alone and the only one outside of the Great Fox, leaving him confused though not surprised to be. Katt often left him confused and brought up tasks she was around, though she gotten better about it with time. Still, it was hardly a usual request from her and left him pondering about it more than usual.

 _Typical Katt._ Fox thought as he turned his Arwing towards the Great Fox and headed home.

Fox flew into the Great Fox and parked his Arwing in its usual spot. From his cockpit he could see everyone else gathered around the entrance to the hangar, no doubt discussing the dogfight. He could plainly see Falco and Miyu arguing over who got the most kills, nothing unusual about that. As he opened his cockpit he saw Krystal standing at the edge of the group, thankfully wearing a robe so no one could see her in the bikini, with Vixy by her side. Krystal waved to Fox who happily returned it. Seeing her and Vixy get along so well brought a smile to his face and made him push the thoughts of Katt's request into the back of his kind. If what she said was true he had plenty of time to think it over. Besides, he had better things to do and think about, more specifically, making sure the rest of the trip went smoothly.

 _Hopefully the rest of the trip to Macbeth will be uneventful and Daria won't be too busy. Macbeth is sure to be an adventure of its own._

To be continued.

* * *

So Fox and Krystal had a really passionate and revealing moment, only for it to be interrupted by a Venomian attack. Thankfully Katt was in the area. What will happen once they reach Macbeth? 

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	14. Red Tape

Here we go, the next chapter of Star Fox Annilahation. So far the story's going good and I'm glad you guys are still keeping up. Hopefully I can keep it going and y'all will continue to enjoy it.

I can't really think of anything to say other than I'm surprised the story is still going. Usually my stories don't last this long or I've given up on them. The only thing I can think to say is that this is mostly a dialogue chapter with a unique meeting. So we'll see how that goes. 

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 13: Red Tape

Macbeth, Cornerian Military Base

"So, this is Macbeth." Krystal asked as she stood with Fox and Vixy at the edge ramp looking over the Cornerian military base.

Any high expectations Krystal had about their stop been dashed the moment she saw what Macbeth was actually like. The planet itself appeared to be just a barren desert landscape with nothing but, as Fox called them, industrial businesses, ruining the area with small impoverished homes around them. The Cornerian military base she found herself standing before wasn't much better with the personnel using rundown buildings and tents for nearly everything. The only things that seemed to be of good quality were the weapons and vehicle the Cornerian military was using. All in all, Krystal finally understood why Miyu called Macbeth a crap hole. If it wasn't for Fox and Vixy by her side she would head back into the Great Fox without a second thought.

 _If my fellow Cerinians saw this place they would be disgusted by it._ Krystal thought.

"Yeah, not exactly pleasing to the eye." Fox said as he shouldered his bag. "You'll be here for a while so best to get used to it."

"That is not making me feel better Fox."

"I know, but that's the reality you face. Since Daria is stationed here this is where she'll be training you."

"This sucks, though if I want to be in your team I don't see what other choice I have." Krystal replied with a huff then looked around the base, freeing her mind to the others in her view. "So, where's Daria, wasn't she supposed to meet us here?"

"I don't know, in her message she said there was a lot of business she needed to attend to, so finding her may be a little difficult."

"In a base this big I can easily see that. There is nothing like this on Cerinia."

"Too bad this is a normal sized Cornerian military base. That makes finding her even harder. I've tried reaching Daria on her communicator but no answer." Fox replied with a sigh. "Can't you use your telepathy to find her?"

"No, I have been trying that ever since we stepped off the Great Fox. Unfortunately, there are too many minds around. I cannot pick her out."

"Huh, that's too bad. I guess that leaves us at the option of wondering around till we find her. Eventually we'll find her."

 _Great, not how I wanted to spend this afternoon._ Krystal thought as she walked beside Fox.

"So, why aren't the other's coming with us, daddy?" Vixy asked, getting both Fox and Krystal's attention.

"Because Falco and Miyu are still asleep while Peppy, Slippy, and Fay are busy. Besides, they're not needed for what we're doing, it's mostly family stuff." Fox explained.

"Makes sense I guess. But why is Krystal here?"

"Because I thought she should meet your aunt Daria . . . and because she'll be training Krystal."

"Oh, now I understand." Vixy said then looked at Krystal with a playful smile. "Aunt Daria is going to make you wish you'd never been born."

 _Oh great, even a four year old kit knows I'm in serious trouble._

Krystal thought as she followed Fox. _This Daria must be fearsome to have such a reputation._

Krystal stayed close to Fox, following close behind him with Vixy tagging along beside them. She couldn't help but feel odd walking through the base, even with Fox and Vixy beside her, Being on a military base, surrounded by armed personnel of an army she didn't have allegiance to made her feel a little nervous. All the men starting at her didn't help either. To Krystal it seemed that all eyes were on her as she walked beside Fox. She knew if she had been wearing her Cerinian outfit she'd probably have to fight off the men with her staff. Thankfully, Miyu had given her clothing that wasn't revealing, though it didn't seem to help much with all the stares. Walking beside Fox and Vixy seemed to help ease the uneasiness in her, to an extent.

After a while, Fox suddenly stopped as if he had ran into a wall, causing Krystal and Vixy to almost trip over themselves. A quick probing of his mind told Krystal that he had seen something of interest, but before she could tell what it was he took off at a quick pace in a different direction. Krystal and Vixy almost ran to keep up with him.

"Ah, Colonel, Colonel Patrenksi." Fox called out to a large German Shephard in the distance who turned towards them.

The German shepherd smiled and walked towards them. "Ah, Fox, and little Vixy, nice to see you."

Krystal stayed back and watched as Fox and the German shepherd exchanged hugs. The German shepherd was larger than she expected, standing nearly a full head taller than her and quite muscular. He seemed to be around the same age as Peppy but in much better shape. Fox and Vixy clearly knew him quite well as they chatted with him as if they were familiar. It wasn't till a few moments later that Fox looked back at her and seemed to realize he had forgotten some manners.

Fox waved at Krystal for her to come to him. "Krystal, allow me to introduce you to Colonel Patrenksi, he served with my bad back in the old days."

Krystal bowed her head to Colonel Patrenksi. "It is an honor to meet you."

Colonel Patrenksi looked at her seemingly confused but eventually bowed his head back to her. "It's nice to meet you too, Krystal. So, you're the one Fox rescued on Sauria?"

"Indeed I am."

"Hm, I can see why." Colonel Patrenksi said then turned to Fox. "You'd better not let her go; a woman like this is almost nonexistent."

"Uh, I guess don't really plan to." Fox replied, blushing like a tomato. "So Colonel, have you seen my sister?"

Colonel Patrenksi suddenly sighed and rubbed the back of his head as if he was embarrassed about something. "Yes, I know exactly where young Daria is, though I don't think now is the best time to see her. Last time I saw her she wasn't in a good mood and right now she's probably shouting at the base commanders."

Krystal turned her head to see Fox's stunned expression and it almost caused her to laugh. "Oh great, what did my sister do this time?"

"Well, the short version that I can disclose is that she was on a mission when she came across two rogue Sharpscales attacking a secret Venom facility. She assisted them, against the orders of her CO, and somehow got some information from them about the Venomians here that has been . . . well, controversial to say the least."

Fox's jaw dropped causing Krystal and Vixy to laugh. "Seriously, Daria did all that?"

"Yeah, command has kept things as confidential as possible but word gets out. Your sister has caused quite a stir on the base."

"Huh, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, she's always had a talent for causing issues."

"Amen to that." Colonel Patrenksi replied with a smirk. "Disobeying her commanding officer got her into some trouble, till she revealed the information the Sharpscale warriors gave her. That's caused more of a stir amongst command than anything."

"I bet, depending on what the evidence is, which I'm assuming you can't tell me what it is."

"You're right, I can't at the moment. Daria getting it from Sharpscale warriors has made it worse."

"Huh, I can see that, Sharpscales have a way of causing issues when they get involved." Fox said.

"What's a Sharpscale?" Krystal asked, getting both Fox and Colonel Patrenski's attention.

"It's a long story . . . to an extent." Fox replied.

"I figured though I'm just curious."

"If you say so. Basically, the Sharpscale are a tribe of powerful warriors from the planet Venom. From the stories I've heard they were the largest and strongest lizards on the planet, and the tribe used their power to keep peace and order on Venom for hundreds of years."

"Under their control Venom had some state of stability and peace as no one dared to cross them." Colonel Patrenksi added. "For decades Corneria was able to do some peaceful business on Venom thanks to the Sharpscales. According to some records the Sharpscale went as far as to protect Corniernans on their planet from other Venomians, putting them at odds with the other tribes. It didn't matter to them, the Sharpscale were honorable warriors looking to keep the peace even with our presence on their home world. At the time they were heavily respected by pretty much everyone."

"So what happened?" Krystal asked.

"Andross happened." Fox said with a deep sigh. "When he was exiled from Corneria sixteen years ago to Venom the lizards flocked to him. They loved his anti-Corneria goals and it didn't take long for him to get a substantial following. Naturally, the Sharpscale didn't like it so they fought against him. However, by that point Andross had the support of almost all of Venom and had a huge technological advantage. Though the Sharpscale fought bravely they were simply overwhelmed and according to our reports around two thirds of their tribe was killed in the fighting. They had little choice but to flee their home world and since then have settled on Venom."

"Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of their troubles." Colonel Patrenksi added. "On Macbeth they had to rebuild from scratch since no one would help them, not even our government assisted them. On top of that, thanks to the Lylat Wars, the Sharpscale are hated and shunned. You see, the majority of Andross' army was made out of Venomians reptiles who decimated anything in their path, a lot of people suffered thanks to them. That has led to a general hatred against lizards that still exists even eight years after the war. Unfortunately, even though the Sharpscale fought against Andross, against their own kind, and its common knowledge that they did, they still receive the same hatred that the lizards get who sided with Andross."

"That's, horrible, all that loss and they are hated no matter where they go." Krystal angrily exclaimed.

"Pretty much, a lot of people don't see the distance and have given them nothing but hatred ever since the Lylat Wars ended. It's made them isolated and slightly aggressive towards . . . well, pretty much anyone."

"Can't say I blame them. I would be the same way after everything they have suffered through."

"I agree, I got nothing but respect for the Sharpscale." Fox said. "Despite all that they've worked hard to come back, though the odds have been stacked against him. But if anyone can come back from near annihilation, it's the Sharpscale."

"For their sake I hope so. Such a shame a once proud tribe has been reduced to that. They're here on Macbeth right?"

"Yes, but they live in an isolated and secure location, so visiting them is out of the question. Unless they ask you too, and that just doesn't happen."

"He's right, so it's rare that two of them are out of their home." Colonel Patrenksi added. "But it's not surprising they're causing problems for the Venomians. Though there's not really much we can do about it other than look for them, which to my knowledge we've been unsuccessful at."

"Why do you want to find them?" Fox asked.

"I don't, my superiors do. I'm out of the loop on that one. Between us, I hope we don't find them and they cause all kinds of hell for the Venomians."

"That makes two of us. Maybe Daria will help them."

"Knowing her I wouldn't doubt it. But, I'd be careful talking to Daria right now, she's not in a good mood. The meeting she's in will no doubt make it worse."

"I will, I'm always careful with my sister, she can be quite dangerous when she's in a bad mood. So, I'll ya later Colonel."

"Take care Fox, and be sure to keep Vixy out of trouble."

"I can't guarantee that."

Colonel Patrenksi smirked then turned around and walked away from Krystal, Fox, and Vixy. After a nod from Fox they preceded towards the briefing room, at least Krystal assumed it was, she was just following Fox. As they got close to the briefing building, Krystal's telepathy picked up on tension coming from it. The anger she sensed building up caused her to freeze in her place, sending shivers down her spine.

Krystal held out her arm, stopping Fox in his tracks. "Whoa there big guy, you do NOT want to go in there."

"Really, it's that bad in there?"

"Oh yeah, from what I'm sensing things are not going smoothly. Best we wait it out."

Fox nodded. "Alright, if you say so, Krystal."

A moment later, the front door flew open and a white furred vixen dressed in near full dress combat uniform, minus the combat gear and weapons, stopped out looking absolutely furious. She slammed the door shut, mumbling something under her breath that they couldn't hear but Krystal's telepathy could pick up, making her smirk. The rage she detected in the white vixen as almost enough to cause her to step back. If it wasn't for Fox and Vixy she would've.

"AUNT DARIA!" Vixy screamed then took off running towards the white vixen.

The vixen stopped in her tracks and turned around just as Vixy was nearly to her. Immediately the vixen's expression changed from angry to excited and happy just at the sight of Vixy. She dropped down to her knees as Vixy jumped towards her and she easily caught her in her arms.

"Lil Vixy, it's great to see you." The white furred vixen exclaimed as she hugged Vixy whose tail was wagging so fast it was almost a blur.

Krystal and Fox almost ran towards Vixy and the white furred vixen. Watching Vixy warmed Krystal's heart as it was one of the most adorable sights she's ever seen. It reminded Krystal of how Vixy was with Fox, just more energetic with the vixen.

The white furred vixen stood up holding Vixy in her arms as Krystal and Fox approached. "Fox, you seemed to enjoy taking your sweet time getting here."

"We had some . . . Venom complications in the way over that delayed us."

"You were attacked?"

"Yes, but we dealt with it and were unscathed." Fox replied, then turned to Krystal. "Krystal, I'd like to introduce you to my sister, Daria McCloud."

Krystal had to fight the urge to drool over the gorgeous white furred vixen standing before her. She had the general idea that Daria was gorgeous but what she saw standing before her was much more, such a shame it was restricted to uncomplimentary combat clothing. Though the combat clothing Daria wore made it slightly hard for her to tell Krystal guessed that her breasts were just as big, if not slightly bigger, as hers. Her rear complimented her figure, giving Daria the perfect hourglass figure. The thick, white fur covering her body seemed to add to her beauty, Krystal was certain cuddling with her would be one of the best feelings there is, just behind mating with her. Daria's muscular/athletic body didn't turn her off either, giving her a fearsome but gorgeous warrior beauty appearance.

 _My word, this vixen is just drop dead gorgeous. I'm sure men, and women, pursue her like crazy._ Krystal thought as she smiled at Daria and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you Miss McCloud."

"Same here, though I'd prefer just Daria."

"Okay, Daria, nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too. So, you're the famous Krystal I've heard so much about." Daria said, eyeing Krystal over. "I see why my brother let you on the team so easily. We share the same weakness: beautiful women."

Krystal blushed a bright red under her fur as she saw Fox choke in embarrassment. Even with her telepathy Krystal didn't see that coming and it took everything she had not to laugh. What made it worse was that Krystal could tell that Daria was serious. A quick read of Daria's mind told her that she had a thing for both men and women, though preferred men.

"It is nice to meet you too Daria." Krystal said, still blushing. "So I hear that you're the one who will be training me?"

"According to my bumbling, older brother that's true. Unfortunately, at the moment, it looks like I won't be able to train you for a while. Which sucks since training would be . . . fun."

Out of the corner of her eye Krystal say Fox roll his eyes. "Fun did you, more like torture for Krystal. You're training isn't exactly easy."

"The harder the training the easier the battle. That's what dad used to say."

"You got a point there, Daria." Krystal said.

"You may come to regret that later, Krystal." Fox responded then turned back to Daria. "Colonel Patrenksi told us a little bit of what happened with the Sharpscale though I'm curious how much of it is true."

"If you heard it from him then it's probably all true. You know he doesn't lie or exaggerate." Daria replied with some sarcasm in her voice.

"So, you're telling me that you got credible evidence on illegal activities going on at the Venom embassy?"

"Yes, the information has been confirmed by our intelligence. However, the method I've obtained it is what's slowing everything down and getting everyone all crazy."

"I know, Colonel Patrenksi told me." Fox said. "He filled me in on some of the details, like your interaction with two Sharpscales."

"Diana and Torygg, yeah they were pretty cool, and absolute beasts in battle. I saw them charge a Venom rebel faculty, by themselves, and wipe out a considerable portion of their forces before my team joined them." Daria said with some excitement in her voice.

"Really, just two Sharpscale charged a Venom facility?" Krystal asked quite shocked.

"Oh yeah, I knew the Sharpscale were amazing warriors but damn that was something else. I've never seen anything like that in my life. I'd like to at least speak with them again, hopefully with Diana, that girl was a beast."

"You say that as if you think you'll get the opportunity to see them again." Fox said.

"That's because she does." Krystal replied, giving Fox an assurance nod.

"Huh, why do you think that?"

"Because of the information they gave me. You can't just give information like that and it not shake things up." Daria answered. "Diana and Torygg probably know that and are waiting on us to act. Too bad even with that information there's too much red tape for us to act quickly. It'll take forever before we have the proper authority to do anything." Daria answered.

"What is red tape?" Krystal asked.

"Basically, it's a bunch of legal stuff that we have to clear up before we can legally do anything, let alone attack. It's a restriction that prevents us from doing what needs to be done."

"That's why I became a mercenary, I don't have to worry about that. Though acting against an embassy, even a corrupt one, . . . well, even Star Fox can't do that."

"That sounds like a lot of bull crap to me." Krystal said with a soft growl. "Cerinians act when we need to, we don't wait around discussing or negotiating when things need to be done."

"Huh, I got a feeling I would love Cerinia." Daria said with a smirk.

"No, Cerinia would loooooove you."

"If what you told me is true about Cerinia I don't doubt that." Fox added with a smirk, then turned to Daria. "Huh, would it make you feel better if I contacted General Pepper? Maybe he can get things rolling."

"I hope so, I'm getting tired of all this waiting around and negotiating with moronic Generals and politicians."

"Ha, you haven't changed a bit."

"And I don't ever plan to." Daria responded with s short laugh. "Let's get going before I die of boredom."

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

Daria nodded then began following Fox as he motioned for them to head to the Great Fox. Without saying much, Vixy stuck to Daria's side with Krystal following them. Krystal stood back, mentally analyzing Fox and Daria's minds as they talked. There wasn't much she picked up that she didn't already know. All she really detected without diving deep into their minds was the usual brother and sister relationship. Seeing it brought a smile to Krystal's face, reminding her of life back of Cerinia with her siblings.

After a few moments, Daria turned and looked at Krystal with a dark smile. "So, cute blue vixen, if General Pepper comes through it looks like I'll be getting a firsthand look at what you can do."

"Uh, really, you sure about that?"

"Yes, once General Pepper clears things up we'll go in, most likely with Star Fox and my team leading the way. It'll be a good opportunity to see how you handle yourself in combat cute blue."

Krystal gulped softly. "If you say so, though do you have to call me that?"

"That's going to be your name while I'm training you, Cutie Blue. Once we're done training I'll call ya Krystal. . . maybe."

Krystal reluctantly nodded and blushed. "If you say so, I kind of like that name."

"Good, then its sticking." Daria said then looked at Fox. "You got a connection to General Pepper?"

"Uh yeah, on the Great Fox. You referring to getting his clearance on the Venom embassy?" Fox asked.

"Of course, that's something I'd like to take care of as soon as possible."

"Alright, come with us to the Great Fox and we'll get squared away."

"Good, let's get going bro and cutie blue." Daria responded as she picked up Vixy and carried her in her arms.

Daria turned around and headed towards the Great Fox carrying Vixy, which was visible in the landing strip from their position. Fox and Krystal followed her, walking together not far behind her. Daria walked at a fast pace quickly putting some distance between her and Fox and Krystal.

Once Daria and Vixy was far enough ahead Krystal turned to Fox and whispered. "Has she always been so . . . .brash and outgoing?"

"Her entire life, just wait till you get to know her, she gets so much worse."

"For some reason I am not surprised. Training under her is going to be . . . interesting."

A smirk escaped Fox's lips. "You have no idea."

Krystal restrained herself from looking frightened as she walked beside Fox. She couldn't help but be fearful but for some reason turned on by the thought of trained under Daria. Maybe it was because Daria was such an attractive vixen. She found herself conflicted between both Fox and Daria for the moment, being physically, emotionally, and sexually attracted to both. Walking with them didn't help and it took everything Krystal had to keep her composure.

 _As much as I like Fox, I wouldn't mind spending a night under the sheets with that vixen. Being in her strong embrace and thick, soft fur would be magical._ Krystal thought, then looked at Fox as he walked beside her. _At this point, spending a night "under" either McCloud would be a dream come true._

X

"You catch that little sis?" Torygg whispered to Diana from his crotched position as he observed the Cornerian base through his binoculars.

Torygg lowered his binoculars and turned his head quickly to glance at Diana behind him to see her look up from their position in the cave at his response. Their position was one of their most secure lookouts, being a cave high up in the mountains where they stored gear. It gave them a perfect view of the Cornerian military base, allowing them to observe everything with a pair of binoculars and the entrance of the cave was created well enough to hide their presence. Having been up there for a few days it was starting to get boring, though the current look on Diana's face after his previous comment seemed to be a promise of something interesting happening.

"Yes, and how many times do I have to tell you, don't call me that." Diana growled, throwing a water bottle at Torygg that hit him in the back of the head, causing him to drop the binoculars.

"Duly noted, I'll take a water bottle over a rock any day."

"Brother, if I was going to use a rock it'd be to shove it up your ass."

"For some reason I believe you." Torygg replied with a smirk, knowing full well she was serious. "Back to the matter at hand, did you see what happened?"

"How could I when I'm the only one maintaining our equipment? So the answer is no, I didn't, but I can kind of guess. It had something to do with Daria and the information I gave her right?"

"To an extent, the base commanders are still discussing the issue but that's not what I was talking about. Turns out Star Fox has arrived and their leader is talking friendly with Daria."

Diana practically jumped up at Torygg's statement. "Star Fox, you mean the guys who destroyed Andross, they're here?"

"Yes, I have the leader, Fox McCloud I think, in my sights, talking with Daria as we speak. The way they're talking I think they might be related."

"That's . . . incredible, with them here that changes everything. Maybe they can finally get things moving against the embassy."

"We'll see, I can't tell what they're saying though it looks like they're catching up and possibly discussing the embassy. I really hope that's the case." Torygg said as he sat the binoculars down and turned to face Diana. "I must say, I'm surprised your gamble worked. Giving that little vixen the data we've gathered was a risk, but from the looks of things it appears to have done the trick."

"I'm not, I had a feeling that little fox would what needed to be done. The moment I met her I knew she was, as dad would say, a go-getter. I just wish she had more authority to get the information and approval needed."

"I you say so, seems like a stretch of faith if you ask me." Torygg replied, shaking his head. "I must ask, why did you give it to Daria?"

"Well, besides for the reason I just stated, even you are aware that we need help in our war. It's not like we can just walk right into the Cornerian base with information and tell them what we know. They'd probably arrest us on the spot."

"Or shoot us as soon as they got the opportunity. You know how Cornerians have treated our kind, even though we fought against Andross."

"I know, that's why I gave what information we had to Daria, she truly seemed willing to help us." Diana explained as she finished polishing her armor. "I believe that Daria will and has done everything she can to help us. We've been watching her ever since then she has given her leaders the information and, from what we've seen, fought quite hard to get them to take action."

"Too bad even that's taken awhile. With Daria being in their SpecOps unit you'd figure they'd listen to her more but they don't seem to be interested in doing that."

"I know, looks like even with her input they still have quite a ways to go before they can do anything. It is a foreign embassy after all, must getting a person in there takes a lot of politics."

"That's why our kind hates politics, nothing but a waste of valuable time." Torygg said, focused on the blue and red fox as they walked behind Daria and the kit. "At least now we have the legendary Star Fox team here, they'll certainly speed things along. Attacking the embassy will be a lot easier with their assistance."

"IF they can get the clearance. That's a big reason why we haven't asked for help from the Cornerian military in the past, WAY too much red tape and clearance they have to go through to get something done. Though with Star Fox is here that may change since the rules and regulations surrounding mercenaries is far less, so they'll probably get it done a lot sooner."

"Either way, it's only a matter of time before they launch an assault on the Venom Embassy. When they do we'll be there."

"Agreed, brother, for now the best we can do is wait." Diana stepped up beside Torygg and looked down at the base. "Hey Torygg, you mind if I take a look?"

Torygg shrugged as he handed Diana the binoculars and slid back so she could take his position at the window. He stepped back to the other side of the cave and began examining his rifle as she peered through the binoculars at what was going on below. With time on their side for the moment he used the opportunity to make sure their equipment and weapons were in top condition, knowing they probably wouldn't get the opportunity to do so for quite a long time.

"Hm, Fox McCloud is cuter than the media portrays him . . . for a mammal." Diana said after a few minutes.

Torygg looked at his sister as if she had lost her mind. Diana remained still, starring through the binoculars as if she was ignoring him. It took him a moment to realize that she probably didn't know she had just said that out loud. Only a few people were aware of Diana's habit of speaking what she thought out loud. She often did it without realize she had said it out loud and in the past that's led to some very awkward situations. Though in that case it was more of what she said than her habit that puzzled Torygg. Trying to wrap his mind around Diana's thoughts of Fox, a completely different species, being cute, caught him off guard and thinking about it nearly made Torygg drop his rifle. As much as he wanted to ask his sister he kept his mouth shut.

 _I'll worry about what she said later, right now we got more important things to worry about._

Torygg thought as he examined his rifle.

* * *

South Pole, Fichina

Todd breathed slowly, munching on the snow in his mouth to cool his breath to keep it from being seeing in the cold, and pressed his body as tight as he could against the building, making himself practically invisible in the shadows. The cold air didn't faze him as he sniffed the area around him, finding the stench of lizards and apes all around him, though none of them knew he was even there. What surprised him was that after Cara and Felicity escaped in the shuttle the security at the Venom base hardly increased; he contributed that mostly to Zathora killing multiple guards to save his life earlier. No reinforcements have arrived since then and all the Venomians have really done was increase patrols around base. Todd had no problem sneaking past the patrols into the base and looking around. Once he got past the fence he was pretty much free to go where he wanted as long as he remained in the shadows. His curiosity kept him going, sneaking deeper into the base, hoping to find something he could use against the Venomians.

 _Surely there must be something going on here. Andross wouldn't come here without a reason._ Todd though as he moved slowly through the snow.

Todd suddenly froze in his place when his ears picked up the sounds of duo footprints approaching from behind him. He ducked silently k to the shadows of a corner building and squat down, letting the darkness cover him. No sooner does he stop moving his eyes spot two Venom soldiers carrying laser SMGs walking together casually talking. Holding his breath and remaining as still as a statue, Todd watched as the two Venomians made their way through the buildings, barely looking around and laughing a joke one of them told.

 _For a supposed secret base the security here is horrible._ Todd thought as he held his position, barely breathing to hide his presence as the guards walked past him, talking to each other as if they were out for a stroll.

Once the guards were out of view Todd continued to moved again once he was sure no one was around. He moved so slowly through the shadows and snow that his movements were almost imperceptible. If anyone looked in his direction all they would see is shadows and snow. Though moving at that speed, barely a foot in a few minutes, was tedious and tiring it was essential to avoid detection. It took Todd over an hour to proceed through the shadows to the building he was looking for, Andross' quarters. Staying in the shadows he crawled under the window and slowly rose up and looked inside to see Andross seated at his desk, appearing to work on the blueprints of some plans. From his position he couldn't see the blueprints but he did have a clear view of the ape. Using his sensitive ears, Todd listened as closely as he could hoping to pick up on something.

 _What the hell is Andross working on in there_? Todd mumbled to himself.

Todd was about to move to get a better viewing position with Andross' door suddenly flew open revealing Colonel Felix who entered the room. His sudden interest caused Andross to jump and Todd to halt his movements. Without saying a word, Colonel Felix entered the room and quietly shut the door behind him. He remained at the door for a moment, appearing to check to make sure no one was around before turning to Andross.

"Andross, the men are getting restless and many are worried after the shuttle escape. They are worried that at any moment the Cornerian military will show up." Colonel Felix said in a hushed voice, letting out a sigh. "I've had to work hard to keep the men from freaking out and doing something stupid."

"And you've done a good job at that. The people here are professionals, to an extent, but after recent events I do not blame them for being jumpy."

"Jumpy is an understatement sir. This morning I caught three trying to work on plans to build a shuttle to escape. They claimed that they were trying to build something to escape before the Cornerians arrived."

Andross let out a soft laugh. "Idiots, it seems like they're getting desperate and bored."

"Certainly seems that say, makes my job so much harder."

"I bet, and I appreciate your work Colonel, you've done a good job keeping things from falling apart."

"Thank you sir." Colonel Felix said with a smile. "I have to ask, for my sake and the Venomians that are still loyal to you. What are your plans after the Saurian Crisis? The men want to know and I have to give them something to keep them calm."

Todd pressed his ear against the wall to hear as much of the conversation that he could. Hearing Andross' plans directly from the ape himself was a golden dream for any soldier.

Andross sighed loudly and shook his head. "Honestly, I have no idea. Cerinia resulted in disaster, we won't be able to go anywhere near there without an army. Meanwhile, Sauria is certainly not a choice. After the clone was destroyed the Cornerians will no doubt be watching it closely."

"Well, staying here and waiting it out might not be a good idea either, especially since that shuttle lifted off."

"I know, do we have any idea who was it in or why it took off?"

Colonel Felix shook his head. "Unfortunately we do not. Any sensors or connections we had to the shuttle is long gone. For all we know it could've been a spy escaping to inform the Cornerians of our location."

Todd's heart skipped a beat hearing Colonel Felix's statement. Though it eased his concerns that Cara and Felicity would be caught, given he served all the Venomians' connections to it before they took off, it worried him that Andross and the others would escape before any reinforcements arrived. If that happened Andross would still be free roaming across the Lylat System and there wouldn't be much he could do about it.

"That's my biggest fear as well." Andros said with a loud sigh. "Unfortunately, that was our only ship, hence our only escape and way off this forsaken wasteland."

"That's why I sent out a coded signal to any Venomians in the area to come to us. However, the nearest assistance would take at least a week to reach us. So till then we're on our own."

"Damn it, I guess all we can do is hope that they here before the Cornerians do."

"Unfortunately, sir, that pretty much sums up our situation." Colonel Felix replied. "Unfortunately, we have other issues that need our attention, like the men starting to lose faith in you."

Todd's ears perked up to the last comment. Venomians losing faith in Andross seemed like impossibility, even after the Lylat Wars. From reports he heard there was even a cult that worshiped Andross as a god. If what Colonel Felix said was true then that changed things, assuming he could get it the Cornerian intelligence in time.

"I have noticed that." Andross said as he looked down at his desk for a moment before looking back up. "After all the recent failures I don't blame them for starting to doubt me. They have to be thinking that I can't succeed after Star Fox destroyed the Saurian clone."

"I wouldn't say that, sir. They just have a few doubts waiting for you to tell them some new plan. You do have a plan or some experiment . . . right?"

Andross sighed and looked down at the ground, appearing to be deep in thought. To Todd, the old ape looked to be on the verge of a panic attack and truly depressed, making him smile for the first time since Cara and Felicity escaped.

Andross looked up from the floor and turned to Colonel Felix. "Just . . . tell the men to be patient that I'm working on something."

"Sir, you want me to lie to them?"

"If you have to, they'll believe anything I say. After all, to them, I'm the great and powerful Andross. At the very least that will buy me some time to come up with a plan."

Colonel Felix sighed then nodded. "At once sir."

From his position a large grin formed on Todd's face. Having heard all he needed he began slowly backing away through the shadows, the same route he took to get in. Not one guard saw him or suspected his presence the entire time he was there, not even footprints in the snow remained to give him away. Once Todd was outside of the Venom base's fences he began the long track back to his cave.

 _Hm, if this gets out it'll demoralize the Venomian rebels significantly._ Todd thought as he walked through the deep snow. _Hurry Cara, find someone and get back here soon._

To be continued.

* * *

So, Star Fox has arrived on Macbeth and Fox and Vixy have reunited with Daria, and Krystal had a slightly awkward first meeting with her, only for them to thrown into the middle of a potential conflict. Diana and Torygg are nearby waiting for things to happen, hoping Star Fox's presence can kick things into action. Meanwhile on Fichina, Todd is getting closer to figuring out what Andross is up too.

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	15. RAID!

Here we go again, another chapter of Star Fox Annihilation. Hard for me to believe I'm this far along on the story, I didn't think I'd make it this long. I'm happy for all of you who are sticking with the story, gives me hope that I'll finish it someday.

This chapter will mostly be a combat chapter, well half of it anyway. I know it's been a while since there's been combat in this story, and a long time since I've written any, so I hope it lives up to your expectations. Other than that I can't think of much to say.

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 14: RAID!

Macbeth, Cornerian military base

 _Huh, what a day?_ Fox thought as he collapsed into a recliner in the break room.

The cushioned recliner felt good as Fox sank into it, becoming one with it. He put up the foot rests and almost immediately closed his eyes. After a long day of meetings and conducting business arrangements he knew a nap was well earned. Ever since Daria took Krystal for training that morning Fox had been busy making sure the money from the Saurian contract was put to good use, mostly to making repairs on the Great Fox. Though the local businesses certainly had what he needed they were quite stubborn in giving it to him, most couldn't even start till the next day. If it wasn't for Peppy's assistance he would've gotten furious more than once, the hare certainly had a talent for conducting business. Taking care of business was harder while he had to look out for Vixy. Thankfully, Miyu, Fay, and Slippy were willing to watch her, which was one less thing he was glad not to be worried about.

 _At least now I can finally get a nap, till Vixy demands play time at least._ Fox thought as he tried to drift off.

No sooner did Fox begin to feel himself start to drip off into the dream realm he heard the door fly open followed by a loud sigh. He opened his eyes to see Krystal enter the room covered in sweat and dirt, and breathing hard. Though it was hard to tell in the low lighting he could make out minor bruises and cuts on her body, mostly her arms as she approached him, more specifically the recliner beside him.

"Dang Krystal, you look like you've seen better days." Fox said with a soft laugh.

Krystal glared daggers at Fox, nearly causing him to step back. "Blame your sister; she's been working me nonstop at the range trying to teach me how to use Cornerian weapons. Seems pointless since I have my staff."

"Yeah, that sounds like my sister. She seems to get some kind of joy pushing people to the edge."

"From what my telepathy picked up that's only slightly true. She does it mostly to make sure the person is fully ready for combat. As she stated, the harder the training the easier the battle."

Fox smirked. "Yeah that's definitely Daria. That's what Todd would say all the time when he trained her, so naturally she started saying it."

"Well, she's not wrong with that saying, though it feels like she's taking it to the extreme."

"I think that's because the same was done to her and far worse and harder. Todd was a pretty harsh teacher when he trained her, I would say worse than how she is with you. On top of that the Tier1 training is absolutely ridiculous, hardly anyone passes the initiation and even fewer make it all the way through. If what I've heard of true training less than three out of every hundred trainees that attempt the basic Tier1 training program actually succeed, and if they do then they move on to advance training."

"Seriously, it's that hard to become what Daria is?" Krystal exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, it has to be, Tier1 operators are the best in the Lylat System, training to become one takes at least two years. So you can kind of understand what Daria went through to get to where she is today." Fox replied as he laid a hand on Krystal's shoulder. "Don't worry about Daria for now, just relax for the time being."

"Best order I've heard all day. You will not need to tell me twice."

Before Fox could reply Krystal laid down on the crouch and stretched. Within moments she was curled up and seemed to be nearly asleep.

 _Seriously, how could anyone fall asleep so quickly._ Fox thought as he looked at Krystal. _I guess Daria really did push her to the limit._

Fox laid his head back and closed his eyes. Though he had perhaps the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen by his side there was hardly any desire to attempt anything. He knew she was tired and probably not in a flirting mood, so he decided be best to let her sleep.

Just as Fox was about to drift off he heard the intercom buzzing on the wall. The suddenness of it nearly caused Fox to jump off of the couch. Krystal, on the other hand, jumped clear off the couch almost screaming.

"AGAIN! Dang it I'm about to rip that thing off." Fox growled as he stood up and held Krystal to calm her down.

"Sorry Fox but we got an important message from Colonel Patrenksi." Slippy's high pitched voice echoed over the intercom as Krystal seemed to calm down.

"Alright, patch him through."

"Right away, Fox."

After a couple moments, Colonel Patrenski's voice came through. "Fox, are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here, what's going on?"

"Quite a bit, I got news on the Venom embassy situation."

Fox looked at Krystal shocked. "Really, I figured it'd be days if not weeks before we heard anything."

"So did I, but, apparently, once the information was on General Pepper's desk he put his full attention on it. You know how he is once he fully focuses on something."

"True, did he make any progress?"

"Oh yes, orders just came in, we have been cleared to launch a full scale assault on the embassy." Colonel Patrenksi replied, Fox detecting a hint of excitement in his voice over the intercom. "Also, they want Star Fox to lead the assault."

Fox nearly jumped with joy but kept his cool remembering Krystal was beside him. He regained his composure quickly before replying back.

"That's good news, Colonel, I'll get to work so my team's ready for the assault."

"Of course, I'll let know when the assault is ready." Colonel Patrenksi responded and sounded like he was hanging up only to stop suddenly. "Oh, Fox, there is something else you should know."

"What is it, did something happen?"

"Well, I'm not sure how to say it but pretty much as soon as we got the orders from General Pepper we had two heavily armed and armored individuals show at the front gate. They are Sharpscales."

"Sharpscale, at a Cornerian military base?" Fox exclaimed out loud, hearing Krystal stir behind him. "Have they shown any hostility? Have they stated why they're here?"

"Yes, though they were almost gunned down at the gate. They just walked up like they owned the place and demanded to speak to you. It took some convincing to get them to turn in their weapons as they were armed for war. So far, they've been pretty docile and haven't started any trouble."

"That's . . . all I can think to say is surprising. Sharpscale are not known for surrendering their weapons, even in peace times. They must really want to speak to me. Did they say why?"

"No, though given the timing I'd say it has something to do with the Venom embassy. I believe these are the two Daria talked to on her mission, it would explain a lot." Colonel Patrenksi replied.

"Huh, yeah, I can see that given the timing. Alright, I'll meet with them. Can you lead them here?"

"Possibly, due to security measures it might be difficult but I'll get them escorted to you as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Colonel, I'll be with you in a bit."

Colonel Patrenski's call ended, leaving Fox and Krystal alone. As soon as Colonel Patrenksi was gone Fox leaned back against the couch with Krystal who barely moved. He knew it would take a while for the two Sharpscales to be brought to him. Cornerian military bases took security very seriously, so two heavily armed, even though they had currently been disarmed, couldn't just walk through a bass. Giving Colonel Patrenksi time to work things out would take some time, which he could use to relax. Normally, he would try to have a conversation with Krystal though she was exhausted after training with Daria so Fox decided to let her rest for the time being.

After a while, Fox turned and looked at Krystal who softly smiled back at him. "So, you want to meet some Sharpscale?"

"Uh, sure, it will be nice to meet a reptile that is not aggressive or want to have his way with me. Sharpscale aren't like that are they?"

"Oh no, from what I've studied about Sharpscale, they take mating very seriously, to them it's not something they just casually do. A Sharpscale usually is quite selective of their mates, often having sex with just their mate throughout their entire lives, it's rarely ever casual. On top of that, Sharpscale despise rapist, to them that stuff is punishable by death, and they've been to follow through with that."

Krystal softly gulped and began following Fox down the hallway towards the hangar. "That sounds both good and scary at the same time."

"That's the Sharpscale for you. Thankfully, as long as they don't view us as enemies they'll be quite friendly."

"For our sake I hope so, it would be nice to have more friends around here."

"Same here, though we have to meet them first." Fox replied with a smile.

Fox and Krystal turned the corner to the hangar only to see Daria sitting in a chair, seeming to be waiting on something. She was dressed more leisurely, wearing loose fitted cargo pants and running shoes. The loose but somehow cleavage revealing top she wore seemed to be comfortable for her. Even after training Krystal she barely looked tired, thanks to the incredible endurance Fox knew she had.

"Took you long enough to get here bro." Daria said as she looked up at Fox with a smug grin.

Fox smirked. "You were eavesdropping on the call, weren't you?"

"Not intentionally, but yes, I did. You need to work on getting the communication lines on the ship secure."

"I know, it's on Slippy's list." Fox replied with a slight sigh. "I'm guessing you're waiting for us because of the call."

"I think that'd be obvious. If this is who I think it is coming our way I want to see them."

"You think it's Diana and Torygg?"

"Of course, there's no one else it could be. Besides, at least with me present they'd have a familiar face when they see you, which may put them at ease."

"I guess I can't argue with that. But, do I have a choice in the matter?" Fox asked.

"What do you think?"

"No, no I do not."

Daria smirked. "Hm, took you long enough to figure it out. Now, let's go meet them."

Fox let out a loud sigh as Daria stepped aside to let him lead the way. The smirk on Daria's face was almost enough to make him laugh. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Krystal trying hard not to laugh. As much as he wanted to speak Fox just shrugged it off and proceeded down the hallway to the hangar. Daria and Krystal followed him, Krystal keeping close to him as Daria stayed back a little ways.

Once they got to the hangar bay foot Fox pushed the button opening the door and lower the steps with Daria and Krystal behind him. What Fox saw approaching them from the runway nearly caused him to gasp. In the distance he could make out two large Sharpscales dressed in full combat armor, minus helmets and their weapons, being escorted across the runway towards them by more than a dozen armed Cornerian security guards. He'd heard stories of the magnificent armor the Sharpscales wore but never imagined he'd actually see it, let alone two of them strutting towards him with such confidence. They barely seemed to acknowledge the Cornerian soldiers escorting them and approached with a determination that Fox had rarely seen in . . . well, anyone. To him, it was quite a sight, even glancing at Krystal she seemed to be stunned.

"Those . . . those are Sharpscales?" Krystal stuttered.

Daria nodded. "Oh yeah, magnificent warrior specimens aren't they?"

"I don't know if I'd put it like that sis but you are correct." Fox replied to Daria then turned to Krystal. "I told you they'd be big, though I didn't think they'd be this big or armored. I've never seen a Sharpscale in full battle armor before so this is new even for me."

"Just wait till you see them in combat, they're a force of nature destroying everything in their path." Daria added.

"If I do then I hope that they're on my side."

"Well, for now they are and I don't see why they wouldn't be. So, let's at least see why they're here."

Fox nodded to Daria as the guards stopped the Sharpscales at the bottom of the ramp. Fox, Krystal, and Daria walked down the ramp the approach them, stopping at the bottom. The female Sharpscale stepped forward towards Fox but the moment she did the guards raised their weapons at her, but she barely flinched.

"Guys, there's no reason to be hostile towards our guest, they've shown no aggression here." Fox shouted at the Cornerians escorting the Sharpscale.

The security guards looked at each other for a moment before lowering the weapons and stepping back. Fox couldn't help but notice that the Sharpscale had barely moved a muscle, even after the guards raised their weapons at them. They probably didn't see the guards as a threat to them having such confidence in their armor and skills. It would make sense to Fox given what he'd read about the Sharpscales.

The two Sharpscales approached and bowed their heads to Fox, out of respect, and the female spoke first. "Fox McCloud, leader of the Star Fox team. My name is Diana Sharpscale and this is my brother Torygg. It is an honor to meet the man who defeated Andross."

Fox bowed his head back to them. "It is an honor to meet you as well. I have nothing but respect for your tribe and my sister has told me quite a bit about you. It was quite impressive to hear."

Diana seemed to blush, though her scales hid it well. "Why thank you sir, that means a lot coming from a legend."

"A legend would be an understatement." Torygg responded. "The Sharpscale clan greatly respects you and all of Star Fox for what you did with Andross."

"Uh, thanks, I'm still not used to hearing it. I greatly appreciate it, especially coming from the Sharpscales."

Daria walked down the ramp and stood beside Fox just as he finished speaking. "I knew I'd be seeing you two again."

"Ah, Daria, it's nice to see you again. If we had known you were the sister of Fox McCloud we would've been nicer to you."

"You guys were already pretty nice to us, well nicer than most people would've been in that situation. We really appreciate that and the help you gave us, even though the higher ups would never admit it."

"That's hardly a surprise, wouldn't be the first time Cornerians have treated our tribe with distrust. I'm just glad there are good ones like you and your brother out there." Diana said then turned to Fox. "I believe you are curious as to why two Sharpscales would enter a Cornerian military base and demand to speak to you?"

"Curious is certainly not the right word for it, more like greatly intrigued . . . and honored." Fox replied as he became serious. "So, why have you come here asking for me?"

Diana and Torygg looked at each other for a moment, clearly unsure how to respond to Fox's question. They whispered back and forth for a few moments so quietly that Fox couldn't hear them. He looked at Krystal a couple times to see what she thought but she just shrugged her shoulders each time.

After nearly a minute Torygg finally stepped forward and replied. "As much as it feels awkward to say it, we know that the Cornerian government has looked into the information we gave Daria and that General Pepper had cleared it so that an assault on the Venom Embassy can began."

"Wait, how do you know that?" Fox sharply asked.

Diana rubbed the back of her head as she responded to Fox's question. "Well, we've been monitoring the situation closely with tech we . . . stole from a Venom spy facility. It's how we monitored you."

"Hm, you do realize that could get you into a lot of legal trouble right?" Daria replied.

"Yes, though it was an off the books facility the Venomians were using to keep tabs on the Cornerian military, so I don't think us having eliminated it will be much of a problem."

Daria turned to Fox. "She's got a point bro."

"I know, that does explain a lot but it does leave a question unanswered." Fox replied then looked back at Diana and Torygg. "Since you know the assault has been cleared why come here and speak to me?"

"Simple really." Torygg answered with a stern smile. "My sister and I want to join you on the assault."

Fox's jaw nearly hit the floor at Torygg's response. He never imagined anyone would ask him such a question, let alone it being a Sharpscale. To ask such a thing was bold to say the least, with it being a Cornerian military operation. He knew the officials would immediately turn Diana and Torygg down, if not laugh them off the base. However, since they came to him they probably thought he'd give him a better answer, possibly even let them join. Doing so was certainly against Cornerian military policy, however, since Star Fox was a mercenary unit, those policies meant nothing to him. He had a suspicion if he said no that they'd still attack the embassy, just not as part of the Cornerian assault. That would almost certainly get them killed or at the very least on Corneria's black list. He suspected having them fight alongside him would save everyone a lot of trouble, especially Diana and Torygg. Fox was also curious to see them in battle with his own eyes, he'd always wanted to see a Sharpscale in battle.

Fox smiled as he looked at Diana and Torygg. "Hm, two Sharpscale assisting me on a raid against Venomians. I'd be stupid to say no."

* * *

An hour later, Cornerian strike helicopter

Daria shifted in her seat as she tightened her grip on her rifle, letting out a sigh. Riding in a cramped chopper was never something she enjoyed, even though it was only for a short time till they'd be in the middle of a combat zone. Fidgeting was how she usually passed the time, keeping her muscles sharp and from falling asleep, though it didn't seem to be contributed it to the excitement of finally having the authorization to act on the information that Diana and Torygg gave them, though Daria wished she was on the ground with them instead of up in a chopper. She was still surprised that orders came through to attack the embassy, let alone that they were about to muster such a large force so quickly. In an hour they had managed to gather well over three hundred troops, dozens of tanks and land vehicles, and nearly a dozen aircraft, all to attack a Venom embassy. She guessed that command, more specifically General Pepper, found it necessary, certainly took them long enough to do it.

 _Damn, this ride feels like a showing at a bad theatre._ Daria thought as she looked around seeing the others appearing to be tired or just depressed. _At least things will get exciting soon._  
Looking around the bay, Daria say Krystal sitting alone in her seat looking nervous. No one else was anywhere near her, despite the bay being filled with soldiers to the point where it was almost cramped. It surprised Daria to see Krystal seated alone in a craft surrounded by men. If they had been in a bar or nightclub she'd have to fight them off with a bat. However, given the seriousness of the situation, and the fact that everyone on board was a professional, it wasn't as surprising. What got Daria's attention was how nervous Krystal looked compared to everyone else, she really stood out, and it tugged on her heart to see it.

Daria got up and walked over to Krystal, taking a seat beside her. "It's okay to be nervous CB, everyone is before going in."

"I know, I just can't help it at the moment. By the way does CB mean anyway?"

"It's short for Cute Blue, saves time saying it."

Krystal smirked. "I should have known. Just to be clear, this is not my first time in a fight or war."

"I figured it wasn't, you strike me as the warrior type. However, I got a feeling this is your first time going into battle using modern weapons."

"Uh, yeah I guess. You're talking about battle with guns right?"

Daria nodded. "Yes, that's what I meant."

"Then yes, it is. On Cerinia we use our staff's or other close combat weapon as you call it. We do not have firearms, though our staffs can still be quite dangerous at a distance."

"That's what I thought, so this kind of combat we're going into will be vastly different than what you're used to. That's got to be quite a shock to you."

"It is, sure my staff has a lot of abilities that make it useful in nearly all forms of combat but this is just not what I am used to." Krystal replied with a sigh. "Tell me, Daria, were you nervous the first time you went into battle?"

"Of course, everyone is their first time, and every time after. If someone tells you they're not scared they're lying, and the system is full of liars."

"Wait, you are telling me that even you are scared, right now?"

"Of course, I just know how to suppress and ignore my fear. I don't know if my method will work for you, everyone is different." Daria answered then patted Krystal on the shoulder. "Don't worry about anything. Star Fox is going in first with Diana and Torygg, we'll follow them. You just stick beside and you'll be fine."

"I suppose you got a point, Daria."

Krystal turned her head and looked out the window at the landscape as they flew by. Daria could only guess what was on her mind though she was pretty certain Krystal was considering the upcoming battle. She had seen countless rookie soldiers with similar expressions before going into battle, but out of all of them Krystal seemed to be the most calm. Daria couldn't help but be slightly impressed with how calm she was, almost tranquil, a feat she'd rarely, if ever, saw in a new soldier going into battle.

Krystal looked back at Daria with a worried expression. "So, what do you think will happen when we get there?"

"Hard to say, battle is impossible to predict and rarely ever goes as plan from my experience. But if I had to guess, I'd say most likely the moment Fox, Diana, and Torygg hit the base all hell is going to break loose and our forces will do their best to surround them so no one escapes. We'll land on the roof of the embassy as planned and hopefully meet little resistance but knowing the Venomians I doubt it. Most likely it'll be a fight the whole time."

"Huh, that does not make me feel much better. Basically, what you are saying is that no matter what you expect a battle?"

"Pretty much, it always is with Venomians." Daria replied, looking at Krystal with a slight smile. "I do know one thing for certain . . . anyone in Fox's, or Diana and Torygg's way, will be crushed."

X  
Star Fox Landmaster

"YOU GUYS DOING ALRIGHT OUT THERE?" Fox shouted from inside the Landmaster.

"WE'RE DOING ALRIGHT FOX." Diana shouted back from outside the Landmaster. "Just wish we had something more study to hold onto."

"Well, when Slippy first designed the Landmaster he never imagined someone would ride on top of it. So sorry about that, I'll try to drive slowly."

"Like hell you well, you'd better get us there as quickly as possible. Just don't swerve so much and we'll be fine."

Fox shook his head with a smirk. He went back to concentrating on driving the Landmaster though his mind occasionally drifted back to Diana and Torygg. Trying to keep the Landmaster driving smoothly in the window of Macbeth was a difficult challenge by itself, trying to do it with two people riding on top just added to the difficulty. But, they seemed to hardly be concerned or troubled about the ride, if anything they seemed to be enjoying themselves.  
 _Daria told me these two were crazy, didn't believe it till I saw it. Only a crazy person would ride on top of a tank at full speed._ Fox thought as he drove towards the embassy that finally came into view. _Then again, crazy people do make the best soldiers and the best friends._

Crazy would be an understatement, at least Fox would say so, after he met Diana and Torygg. Once they got the orders from General Pepper to attack the Venom embassy, Diana and Torygg volunteered to be on the front so they'd be the first ones into battle to slay as many Venomians as possible. It was manner they proposed that shock everyone, via on top of the Landmaster. The looks on everyone's faces when Diana proposed that would've made Fox burst out laughing, but it didn't since he was in a state of shock himself. He thought they were joking till he was getting into the Landmaster and spotted them climbing onto the roof. They ignored his protests completely with Diana just saying "drive fluffbutt." Surprisingly, they held on with ease even with the Landmaster going eighty miles an hour. Those two were even crazier than he thought they'd be from Daria's story, made him curious how they'd be in battle once they got to the embassy. He wanted to speak to them, so he could get answers to the dozens of questions he had, but with the turbulence he knew they probably wouldn't answer him. On top of that they looked to excited to finally attack the Venom embassy to really answer anything.

Fox did feel better knowing that his team was backing up the main assault as a support element. Falco, Fay, and Miyu were in the air providing air support along with a squadron of Cornerian fighters and air troop carriers, like the ones Daria and Krystal currently sat in. Slippy and Peppy were in the Great Fox providing what support they could while Rob piloted it. He hoped that Vixy was still in his room where he ordered her to stay but knowing her Fox doubted it.

After a few minutes the Venom embassy finally came into view. Even from that distance Fox could spot the wall surrounding the building, blasting through them would be a challenge. That didn't stop him from smiling as they approached at nearly full speed. Behind him was large force of Cornerian military vehicles ready for battle and the air was filled with aircraft waiting for the orders to attack. More specifically, they were waiting on him to be the first to charge in, which didn't surprise him at all, it was hardly the first time the Cornerian forces relied on him. Fox also wanted to get in to please Diana and Torygg, knowing full well they'd want to be where the action is as soon as possible.

"Diana, Torygg, hold onto something." Fox said as he accelerated. "We're going in hot."

Fox heard them grabbing a hold of the railing as he pushed the Landmaster towards the embassy. He could see it in the distance along with the defense turrets on top. Thankfully they didn't seem to be manned at the moment though he knew that would change quickly once the fight started.

Fox charged the Landmaster's cannon as high as he could and let out a shot at the wall. The shot hit the wall at the bottom, blowing a huge hole in it large enough for the Landmaster to drive through. How'd we as they closer a nearby turret opened died after that causing Fox to swerve to avoid it. Torygg responded quickly, aimed his rocket launcher and fired, scoring a direct hit, blowing it up.

"Nice shot Torygg." Fox said as he corrected his course.

"I didn't think it would hit, had to fire that shot from the hip." Torygg replied as he repositioned himself.

"Hardly matters now, you scored the hit so we're good." Diana shouted as she reached for her Gatling gun. "Just get us in there foxy boy."

Fox nodded even though he knew they couldn't see him. He sped towards the hole, accelerating just as they neared it. The Landmaster easily passed through without a scratch, only to find themselves staring at a small, armed forced of Venomians coming towards them. Diana wasted no time in opening fire, her Gatling gun cutting through the Venomians with ease since they were out in the open with no cover. Torygg went to work shooting his rocket launcher at defenses and any vehicles. Fox kept the Landmaster moving so they wouldn't be an easy target and fired at anything he could.

Within moments they had laid waste to a huge part of the Venomians forces, paving the way for the rest of the Cornerian military to enter. Though Fox could hardly see Diana and Torygg he did notice the excited expression on their faces as they destroyed anything or anyone unlucky enough to enter their path. He was certainly impressed at the amount of damage they've caused in such a short period of time.

 _Dang, those sure know how to destroy stuff anything in their path._ Fox thought as he continued to drive the Landmaster.

X

"Dang, they sure went in harder than I thought they would." Daria shouted over the roar of the chopper's engine.

From their position high above embassy Daria, with Krystal standing beside her, had a bird's eye view of Fox bursting through the wall. They watched in awe as he, along with Diana and Torygg, charged in and destroyed almost all resistance in their way. Daria was slightly impressed, she expected them to make a grand entrance like that, though she thought they'd be a little more subtle and it'd take them longer to get inside.

"Harder than you thought, they blew a giant hole in the wall and decimated their defenses in a matter of seconds." Krystal shouted back. "I would say they took it too far."

"No such thing as too far in combat. You either go all out and win or don't and almost certainly lose. That is especially true with Venomians, show any weakness and they'll crush you."

"Huh, I suppose you are right. I guess I was just surprised at the suddenness of it."

"That's only natural in combat, you'll eventually get used to it, especially working with Star Fox." Daria replied with a shrug and a reassuring smile, getting a nervous smile back from Krystal.  
Daria turned her head and watched as Cornerian forces began arriving and forming a perimeter around the embassy. It didn't take long for a heavily enforced line of tanks and infantry completely circled the area around the building preventing escape. Daria was kind of impressed that it happened so quickly, usually the Cornerian military was slow though that day they seemed to be pretty on point with the operation.  
Daria turned and looked at Krystal as the chopper flew over the embassy. "Okay Krystal, we're going to land on the top of the embassy and burst in from there. Stay behind me at all times, understand?"

"Yes ma'am, I will not leave your side."  
Suddenly, incoming fire erupted from the roof of the embassy, directed at the chopper's open bay. Almost immediately the machine gun operator on the back was shot and collapsed. Everyone else on board ducked as plasma rounds flew over their heads. From her position Daria could see well over a dozen heavily armed Venom soldiers standing the roof opening fire at them.  
"Damn it, stay back everyone, I'll take over." Daria shouted at she ran towards the machine gun. She quickly mounts and takes aim at the Venom soldiers on the roof and opened fire, cutting down several almost instantly. The roof provided little cover making the Venomians easy targets for her fire. She held down the trigger firing wildly at any target as they sprinted for what cover they could. A couple operators took position beside her and opened fire with precision cutting down the soldiers she missed. After nearly a minute of nonstop shooting the Venomian soldiers that remained began retreating towards the embassy roof entrance, only to make themselves open to Daria and her fellow operators. Only a couple managed to make it safely inside.

"Alright, that roof is clear. Tell the pilot it's safe to land."

Daria heard the operators pass the word up to the cockpit as she continued to aim the machine gun at the roof just in case an enemy soldier popped up. The pilot landed the chopper on roof as softly as possible but it still shook everyone inside. Daria was the first to recover with everyone else gathering their footing right after she did. Soon, the operators began piling out of the chopper onto the roof.

"Alright Krystal, as I've said, please stay behind me." Daria shouted, patting Krystal on the shoulder to reassure her."

"I will and I'm ready."

Daria nodded to her and filed out of the chopper onto the roof and took cover behind an AC unit. She quickly glanced back to see Krystal right beside her, giving her a smile. Almost as soon as they were all off the chopper took off leaving them to their mission. One by one the operators headed towards the roof entrance door to get inside the embassy, with Daria choosing to go last for Krystal's sake.

 _I hope Fox is doing alright down there with the Sharpscales._ Daria's thought as she headed for the roof entrance with Krystal following close behind.

X

"Diana, Torygg, wait up." Fox shouted as he parked the Landmaster by the embassy entrance.

Fox shut off the Landmaster and jumped out as quickly as he could to follow Diana and Torygg. As soon as they had dealt with all outside resistance, except for a few soldiers, they jumped off the Landmaster and ran towards the embassy entrance with hardly a word to him. He didn't even have time to park before they jumped off. Fox knew they were anxious to fight and eliminate as many Venomians as possible but he didn't think they'd be so reckless about it. He couldn't say he wasn't impressed by them, they certainly had more determination than almost everyone he knew, except for Daria and a few others.

 _Dang, those two are fearless to the point of insanity._ Fox thought as he grabbed a laser rifle and ran after Diana and Torygg.

Fox ran through the doors to almost freeze at the sight of Diana and Torygg expertly paving a way through all Venomians in their way. In a matter of seconds they had already cut through the embassy's frontal security to the point where they were desperately trying to find any cover to protect them from the Sharpscale onslaught. Diana's laser Gatling gun combined with Torygg's plasma shotgun was one hell of a force that clearly made them a threat to anyone in their path. Combine it with their armor and Fox wouldn't want to be in their path. Meanwhile, the Venomians, those that remained, were fighting from whatever cover they could find in the lobby. Fortunately for them, the lobby was designed for a frontal assault so cover was plentiful.

Torygg turned to Fox and shouted. "Stick behind us Fox, we'll draw their fire."

Fox jumped to cover behind a pillar and immediately began picking off targets. With Diana and Torygg as the main threat the embassy's security was clearly focused on them to the point they seemed to barely notice Fox, making them easy targets for him. He had little trouble finding a Venomian to shoot at, scoring multiple hits within a moment or two. Despite his actions the Venomians still seemed to have a heavy grip in the lobby, getting through them would take a while. He needed to do something while Diana and Torygg had the initiative if they were going to get through quickly.

Using the furniture as cover, he worked his way around the lobby to flank the Venomians who had erected an effective cover in the middle of the room that protected them against Diana and Torygg. As Fox made his way around he could see the Venomians attempting to mount a large machine gun, he knew Diana and Torygg's armor wouldn't hold up against it. He quickened his pace, hoping to remain unseen till he got close enough to see them clearly in his sights. Spotting five, two providing cover fire towards Diana and Torygg while the other three worked to set up the heavy machine gun, he knew it was the only opportunity he'd get. He took a deep breath and quickly stood up, taking careful aim at the machine gun's power core. Fox fired a single shot at the core and scored a direct hit, causing the core to disrupt, resulting in a large explosion, killing everyone nearby and knocking Fox on his butt.

"Nice shot Fox." Diana called out to Fox.

Fox shook his head and tried to regain his footing. From what he could see, what remained of the Venomians were running down any hallway or escape they could find to get away. Without their machine gun there was no chance they could hold back the Cornerians, let alone Diana and Torygg. With it gone they seemed to be fleeing to either get away or fall back to other defendable positions.

Fox succeeded in standing up just as his ear piece spiked followed by the sound of Daria's voice. "Fox, my team has landed on the roof and we've entered the building. We're clearing the top floor as we speak."

"Good, we got the lobby cleared and Cornerian forces are entering the building. I think most of the Venomians are falling back to defend key positions or destroy records."

"I'm thinking that too, we've come across very little resistance once we got inside. That means we have to hurry."

"I know, good luck on your end sis." Fox replied.

"You too bro."

Fox ended the call and ran to where he last saw Diana and Torygg only to find them gone. Quickly looking around he saw them standing at the entrance to a hallway at the far end of the lobby. From what he could see it appeared to be a heavily secured route with security doors, scanners, and guards posts currently empty. The only reason it seemed to be open was because Diana had a security badge, most likely from a guard she killed.

"Hey Fox." Diana called out. "Most of the security forces went this way. We're going to follow them."

Fox nodded as he ran towards them, catching up just as they entered the hallway. Torygg took point with Diana following close behind him. Fox stayed behind them, mostly to provide support. With their aggression, high damage weapons, and armor, it was clear to him they dominated in close quarter combat, exactly the situation they were in. Knowing that, it was obvious to Fox that his place was behind them providing support.

Surprisingly, when they entered the hallway there was no resistance, no incoming fire, and no signs of enemy life. Even as they continued down the hallway there was no one to fight. Fox began feeling uneasy, almost certain they were walking into a trap. It wasn't till they turned a corner that they stopped, finding themselves starring down a pitch black hallway. No light illuminated the hallway, making it impossible to see anything. Fox couldn't make out anything even by squinting.

"What the heck is this?" Diana said seeming to be confused.

As soon as Diana finished speaking a laser round hit her in the chest. If it wasn't for her armor the hit would've killed her, instead it barely fazed her. She responded by raising her nachos gun and firing blindly in the darkness, hoping to hit something with Torygg did the same. Fox took cover in a doorway and opened fire but due to the darkness couldn't see a thing. For a few moments both sides exchanged fire with neither having the advantage. Much to Fox's surprise, even though the Venomians were in the darkness they were shooting accurately, more so than they were, scoring hits on Diana and Torygg's armor.

"Seriously, they're using night vision to slow us down?" Diana growled.

"They're getting desperate, sister. Won't stop us." Torygg shouted back. "We just need something to help us see so we can end their existence."

"I got something for that."

Fox said, getting Diana and Torygg's attention.

Fox reached into his vest and pulled out a small, grenade like device Slippy had developed a few years ago he called a light grenade. From the way Slippy described it Fox guessed it released an extremely bright light that blinds anyone nearby for around ten seconds. Fox tossed the light grenade into the darkness, hoping his aim was true. After a couple seconds the grenade illuminated the entire hallway in a blinding light, making the Venomians visible. Fox, Diana, and Torygg immediate acted and opened with accurate fire at the stunned Venomians, cutting nearly all of them down within seconds. Thankfully the grenade stayed slightly illuminated once its time expired, making it easy for them to see.

"Never imagined a bright light would be so effective against a-holes." Diana said with a smile.

Fox nodded back as Diana and Torygg proceeded down the hallway again. As they continued a lone Venomian stumbled out from cover rubbing his eyes in front of Diana. She raised her weapon and aimed at his head but didn't fire as the Venomian was unarmed and clearly stunned.

"Diana, remember do not kill anyone that surrenders. I know after everything Venom did to your tribe it's tempting but please don't need to massacre them." Fox shouted at Diana.

"Of course, we're not without honor unlike these scumbags. We don't kill prisoners or unarmed fighters. We'll let them live so your people can question them."

"Good, you can still incapacitate him."

"That was the plan." Diana replied then hit the Venomian on the head with the butt of her weapon, knocking him out. "Let's keep moving."

Fox nodded then followed closely behind Diana and Torygg as they continued down the hallway. Much to their surprise they encountered no more Venom soldiers as they progressed deeper down the hallway. It wasn't till they came to a 90 degree turn in the hallway that Fox began getting suspicious again. Diana and Torygg kept going as if they were ready and could handle anything with Diana in front. They turned the corner and nearly froze when they saw a multitude of Venom soldiers waiting for them. Fox grabbed Diana just as a barrage of laser came at her and pulled her back to cover.

"Thanks for that Fox." Diana said.

"No problem, let me get a quick view of what we're dealing with."

Diana and Torygg let Fox slip past them and he took position at the edge of the wall. He quickly poked his head out for a second before ducking back behind cover just as the Venom soldiers tried to shoot him. Even though it was only a quick glance he got plenty of time to see what they were dealing with.

"From what I could see, there's at least a dozen soldiers out there, taking cover behind barricades. I also counted a heavy machine gun. They're pretty well defended." Fox said with a sigh.

"They seem to be really determined to defend this section of the building." Torygg shouted over the incoming fire.

"That's usually a sign there's something valuable for them to defend." Diana responded, firing a quick barrage. "Means we're going in the right direction."

"But that also presents a problem, they're so well defended that it'd take a large force to get through them." Fox added.

Diana and Torygg looked at each other for a moment before looking back at Fox. Torygg reached into one of his armor pockets and pulled out what appeared to be a black, round grenade with flames on it. The grenade was very small, he could almost wrap his hands fully around it if he held it.

"You may want to hold your breath, Fox." Torygg said as he took cover at the edge of the wall.

"Is it a gas grenade?" Fox asked.

"No, it's a grenade of Sharpscale designed called the Incinerator, you'll see why." Diana replied. "Just don't breath in if you dong want burn your lungs."

Torygg tossed the grenade as best he could towards the center of the room. He then threw his arms around Diana and Fox and pulled them closets him, covering them with his body. A second later, Fox felt the incinerator explode, rocking the very foundations of the building. Flames shot out from the explosion, covering everything in sight, thankfully, Fox, Diana, and Torygg were on the other side of the wall otherwise the flames would've roasted them. Fox could feel the heat from the explosion, knowing anyone the flames touched was probably toasted and dead. After a few moments, once the flames ceased, Torygg let go of Diana and Fox and they peered out over the wall the see the room before them covered in flames with a few Venom soldiers screaming as flames burned them alive.

"Damn, that thing is just ridiculous. I see why it's called Incinerator, dang thing burned everything it touched." Fox stated as Diana and Torygg jumped out of cover and began firing at anyone still alive.

At first, Fox thought what they were doing was cruel till he realized they were showing mercy by ending the Venomians' pain. If they were still alive after that explosion they wouldn't have been for much longer due to their injuries. Thankfully, only a couple needed their lives ended though Fox was still uncomfortable about it.

"Well, know that's done there's only one thing left to do." Diana said then turned towards the end of the hallway.

Before them stood one of the largest and most secure security doors Fox had ever seen. The security door before them was massive to say the least, Fox guessed it weighed at least ten tons and stood twelve feet tall. It looked even heavier than a bank security door and far more secured, from the locks he could see. Even the Incinerator barely left a mark on the door other than a few burn marks. It was pretty obvious to him that whatever was on the other side was extremely important to the Venomians, otherwise they wouldn't have gone through such trouble.

"Dang, we're not going to get through that without some major fire support." Diana said.

"You kidding, we'd bring the whole embassy down if we used the amount of firepower necessary to break through." Torygg responded.

"Easily, these security doors are designed to withstand natural disasters and the strongest artillery." Fox replied as he looked around the room. "They're designed to only be opened by a terminal. However, there's not one nearby so it must be in another part of the building, most likely in a security room."

"You're saying we'll have to search the entire building for a terminal just to get in there?" Daria growled.

"Unfortunately, yes, unless you want to bring down the entire embassy. I'd prefer to avoid that."

Diana and Torygg both grunted loudly in annoyance, making it hard for Fox not to smirk. He wasn't happy about it either but with little other choice there was nothing he could do, besides hope that some other Cornerian unit had found a control terminal.

"Fox, you there big bro?" Daria's voice suddenly echoed over the radio.

"Yeah, I'm here, something happen sis?"

"Kind of, we finished clearing the top floor with little resistance. It's what we found that's disturbing."

"What'd you find?" Fox said as Diana and Torygg looked at him.

"We caught some Venomians trying to destroy what records they could. We stopped them but the records we found are disturbing to say the least. You'll see what I mean once you get here."

"We'll see, though down here we've come across a problem."

"Too much security for the great Fox McCloud to handle?" Daria replied sarcastically.

"Very funny, we've come to a security door that requires a terminal located somewhere else to open."

"Huh, where are you?"

"The basement, I think. It's a large security door that reads Black Hole." Fox answered.

"Hm, I think I got a solution for that. We captured the security office and I recall a terminal with that label on it. Give me a moment and we'll see if I can open it."

Daria ended the conversation before Fox could reply, leaving him no other option but to wait. He gave Diana and Torygg a shrug hoping it wouldn't take Daria long to hopefully solve their problem. After a few moments, Fox heard a distinctive beeping coming from the door's lock.

"Thanks sis."

"No problem bro."

Fox ended the conversation as Torygg walked over to the door and slowly pulled it open, its sheer weight proving difficult for even him to move. Once he got it open they were able to see what was inside. What they saw made Diana and Torygg look at each other confused while a loud gasp escaped Fox's mouth. The room was empty except for a large cylinder device that stood in the middle. It was easily over ten feet tall but very thin and covered in black metal with a console at normal waist height level. In the middle of the device was a glass container holding a mixture of red chemicals. Fox recognized the device immediately and nearly began shaking as he reached for his headset to make a call.

"Uh, Colonel Patrenksi, I think we found something you may find interesting."

To be continued.

* * *

So Fox has quite an introduction to Diana and Torygg while attacking a Venom embassy. They definitely made quite an entrance and I would dare say that Fox and Daria liked what they saw. What will happen now that the Venom embassy gone and Star Fox knowing about Diana and Torygg.

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	16. New Team Members

Alright! Another chapter of Star Fox Annihilation up! Dang I'm surprised I've made it this far. I thought I'd quit this story months ago. Freaking happy to see it still going strong and getting the next arc moving. It wouldn't be possible without your support so "thank you" to everyone who's favorited, followed, and reviewed the story and me.

This chapter has a major scene in it from the game idea: Diana vs. Fox. Just in case you've forgotten, Star Fox Annihilation is based on a Star Fox video game idea I had by the same name. In the game, Diana and Fox spare to earn Diana and Torygg's support, with the player playing as Fox. It was supposed to be one of the hardest melee fights in the game, even harder than the fight with General Scales. Diana may be slightly lacking in strength compared to General Scales (not by much) but she's much faster and agile, and her attacks are more precise making them harder to block and dodge. The fight is timed, 60 seconds, and determines the status of Diana and Torygg with 3 possible results: 1) getting knocked out before time expires results in Diana and Torygg deeming Fox unworthy of their help, they'll leave and won't be seen in the game against; 2) lasting the entire fight (60 seconds) results in Diana and Torygg respecting Fox and joining Star Fox 3) defeating Diana unlocks her as a romance option (making her the hardest to romance in the game). The chapter/story follows this and you'll see which one is the canon option. 

I know that in this chapter Diana may seem to be a little OP, maybe even a Mary Sue, though that's not the case when you take 2 things into consideration: 1) Sharpscales are naturally incredibly strong, even without training they have amazing strength and their thick scales provide protection against minor attacks in melee combat, so they can naturally take a lot of damage 2) they are trained extensively to not only dish out tons of damage but also to take as much as they can dish out, the brutal training makes them very talented warriors with the knowledge and skill to avoid taking serious damage from blows that hit. 

I hope you guys paid attention to the previous couple chapters as Cara and Felicity, who haven't appeared in a bit, are finally being mentioned again. 

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 15: New Team Members

Great Fox bridge"Hey, Daria, what are you up to?" Daria heard Miyu shout from behind her.

Daria turned around to see Miyu and Fay entering the bridge, both smiling brightly. They seemed to be in a good mood after yesterday's attack on the Venom embassy; probably glad to finally have time to relax. She knew they hadn't been doing much since their job was done while her task has been quite troublesome with constant briefings and meetings. It was nice to see a couple of friendly faces.

"Not much, just contemplating ways to remove my former CO's spine." Daria answered with a devise smile.

"The same CO who's been trying to get you into his bed?" Miyu asked.

"Yep, some guys just don't comprehend that not every beautiful woman will sleep with him. Though his recent stunt took it way to far."

"What did he do?"

Daria held up her discharge papers for Fay and Miyu to see. Almost immediately she saw Fay let out a stunned gasp while Miyu seemed to boil with rage.

"Oh, you got honorably discharged . . . right after a major operation?" Fay asked.

Daria shrugged her shoulders as if it meant nothing to hide her frustration. "Yeah, turns out that was one of the consequences of the operation getting approved."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, long story short, my CO managed to put in enough word during the talks that his Tier1 unit wouldn't assist in the operator unless I was discharged afterwards."

"WHAT HELL, is that some kind of cruel joke?" Miyu shouted.

"Nope, it's not a joke. As of an hour ago I am no longer a Tier1 operator, I'm just a civilian."

"That's seriously messed up. You got to be furious about this." Fay softly growled.

"No, I'm not angry that it happened, I was looking forward to getting out. What pisses me off is that my CO went behind my back to do it."

"You're CO?" Fay asked.

"Yeah, he's been trying to get me off the squad ever since I refused to sleep with him."

"Seriously, when did that happen?" Miyu angrily shouted.

"A few months ago during our unit's retreat on Fortuna. He thought that since we were relaxing on the beach, and no one else was around, didn't help that it was a nude beach; he'd try to talk me into mating with him. It was tempting seeing what he . . . "possessed" but I turned him down. Since then he's been looking for ways to get me discharged."

"You're CO sounds like he was a major a-hole." Fay responded.

"He was, even before trying to bed me. Can't say I'm sorry to be away from him but it ticks me off that he was able to convince the generals to discharge me so the embassy operation could commence."

"That sounds a little fishy to me." Miyu stated, crossing her arms under her ample breasts.

"It's supposed to; he brought up me disobeying his direct orders in an earlier operation, the one where I met Diana and Torygg." Daria replied with a huff. "Apparently that was enough to convince them that I should be honorably discharged."

Miyu angrily growled. "What are you going to do about that?"

"Nothing, I've wanted to be discharged for a while so I'm seeing this as an opportunity." Daria said with a slight smile. "So, why are you two still here, shouldn't you be heading back to your stations."

Fay and Miyu looked at each other for a moment before Fay responded. "That'd be difficult to do since neither of us are no longer part of the Cornerian military."

"Really, you guys just got discharged too?"

"Yes, during the Saurian Crisis we talked about leaving the military. We have been in for nearly a decade and it was that time where we decide whether to leave or stay in. We agreed it was time to leave and pursue our own dreams."

"A lot of it had to do with the military constantly throwing us into dangerous operations and hardly getting paid." Miyu added.

"Huh, can't say I blame you guys at all." Daria replied with a smile. "So, what are you two going to do now?"

"Well, we're thinking of becoming a mercenary recon team, though we don't have the money or the reputation to do it." Fay answered.

"So, we were planning on talk to Fox to see if he'll let us be a part of Star Fox temporarily, just till we got enough money and equipment to go on our own." Miyu added.

Daria suddenly started laughing causing Miyu and Fay to look at her as if she was crazy. "What a coincidence, I was planning on asking Fox the same thing."

"You really think Fox will allow you to be a part of Star Fox?" Miyu asked with a lot of sarcasm.

"Of course, once he finds out my situation he'll agree. I know mom's been talking to him about it and from her last call she seemed to think he was nearly convinced." Daria answered getting a surprised look from Fay and Miyu. "For you two, well I'd honestly be surprised if he didn't let you stay for a while."

"You really think so?" Fay asked sounding quite a bit unsure.

"Of course, he likes you two. After everything you've done with him recently he has to let you join. We just need to find him and ask wherever he is."

"Last I saw he was leading Diana and Torygg on a tour of the Great Fox with Krystal and Vixy tagging along." Miyu replied.

"Hm, then I guess we try and find him, no better time than now to ask him."

Daria lead Fay and Miyu out of the bridge and through a search of the Great Fox. After nearly thirty minutes of continuous walking they spot Fox in the workout room talking to Diana and Torygg with Krystal and Vixy nearby. Diana and Torygg looked like kids in a candy shop following Fox around the Great Fox. Daria could understand why, they grew up in an impoverished village thanks to Andross, to them the Great Fox probably seemed it very advanced, even though it still needed repairs.

"Hey bro, you done with the tour yet?" Daria shouted at Fox, getting his, Diana, and Torygg's attention.

"Just finished, sis. This is the last stop on the tour." Fox called back.

"Good cause we got something we need to talk to you about." Miyu said as she, Daria, and Fay approached Fox, Krystal, Vixy, Diana and Torygg.

"Can it wait for a minute I was discussing things with Diana and Torygg?"

Daria shrugged as Vixy jumped into her arms. "Fine by us."

Daria quickly glanced at Krystal who gave him a reassuring but also slightly concerned smile. She knew the blue vixen was reading their minds, no doubt picking up on their decision to join Star Fox. The half-smile, half laugh on her face was evident of that. Daria nodded at Krystal to signify she knew her mind was being read. Krystal gave a slight shrug then they all turned their attention towards Fox, Diana, and Torygg.

"So, Diana, Torygg, what do you think of the Great Fox?" Fox asked.

"I must say the Great Fox is even more amazing than the stories paint it out to be." Diana answered.

"It could use some repairs but I agree it's a very nice ship." Torygg added.

"We're working on getting it repaired after the payment we received from the Saurian Crisis, so it'll be ready soon." Fox replied.

"Depends on how good the people fixing it are." Krystal said then looked at Diana and Torygg. "I got to ask you two the obvious question. So, what are you two going to do now?"

Torygg and Diana looked at each other for a moment before Torygg replied. "Originally, our plan was to go back home once the Venom embassy was taken out. Without a way to get off this planet there's nothing we could do about the other Venomians out there. So, going back home was what we had in mind."

"I'm sensing a but coming." Daria said.

"Yes ma'am all that changed once we learned about the records they had stored at the embassy and after you guys arrived. Now, there's an opportunity for us beyond going back to our crap home."

"What my brother is trying to say is we'd like to assist Star Fox in the upcoming battles against the Venomians." Diana replied.

Daria chuckled to herself. _Seems like everyone is trying to join Star Fox._

Fox chuckled, as did Daria and Miyu. "For some reason I am not surprised. You seem pretty certain that there's going to be lots of upcoming action against the Venom resistance."

"Of course, after all that information Daria's team recovered even Corneria can't sit on their asses. There's action coming and we want a part of it." Torygg said with a loud voice.

"Hm, you are right, there is going to be a lot of fighting in the near future and I can see why you two want a part of it. The only problem is you don't have a way off the planet so you want to be a part of Star Fox to fix that problem, right?"

"That's the best of it, though I think we'd be more allies of Star Fox, traveling with you guys. I'm pretty sure there's a law about Cornerian mercenary teams not being able to take on Venom born members, which we both are. That's why I think allies would be better."

"He's not wrong Fox." Daria spoke up, getting Fox's attention. "Due to a bunch of bull crap laws written after the Lylat Wars Torygg and Diana are forbidden from joining Star Fox. However, there is nothing about being allies with them or letting them travel with you."

"Hm, you got a point." Fox responded in a low voice before looking back at Torygg. "I think we can work something out for the time being, you two just have to behave and follow my rules."

"I think we can do that, assuming you prove yourself worthy of our help." Torygg responded, causing Daria to look at him confused.

"Huh, what do you mean by that, Torygg?" Daria asked.

"I mean anyone who leads the Sharpscale, even though officially you wouldn't be leading us, must prove themselves to not only be a good leader but also a powerful warriors. Sharpscales only follow worthy leaders, after they've proved themselves capable of leading."

"Uh, okay, and just how do I prove myself as a warrior, I thought I already did that in the embassy assault?" Fox asked seeming to get and hide his nervousness.

"You've proven yourself a capable leader and tactician; there is no doubt about that. But unless you have proven yourself as a fighter then by our traditions we cannot follow you." Diana replied letting out a sigh. "Basically, you have to fight one of us . . . me."

"You can't be serious? Fox shouted as everyone else gasped except Daria who laughed. "What happens if I refuse to accept the challenge?"

"Then, I'm afraid we have to leave. By our traditions we cannot follow you if you don't prove yourself." Diana crossed her arms and glared at him. "So, do you accept the challenge or not? If it makes you feel better I'll use a handicap, I won't use my tail, which should make it fair."

Daria put her hand over her mouth to conceal her laughing. She had suspicions that Diana and Torygg would recommend something drastic but not a fight. The thought of little Fox fighting a beast like Diana was something she just didn't think he'd agree to. The size and strength difference between them was significant with Diana looking like a giant compared to Fox. On top of that he considered himself to be a gentleman, making it hard for Daria to see him agreeing to fight her.

Much to Daria's surprise Fox grinned and approached Diana. "Alright, I accept the challenge."

X

 _Why the hell am I doing this?_ Fox thought as he stepped into the training room finding, Fay, Miyu, Daria, Peppy, Slippy, Falco, Krystal, and Vixy waiting for him.

Word about Diana's challenge had gotten out amongst the Great Fox quicker than he expected. He thought only a couple would witness it, not everyone onboard. Then again, he wasn't surprised either, especially not to see Daria and Miyu so ecstatic. Krystal and Peppy both looked very worried about him; they had every reason to be, while Vixy just seemed happy to be there. Fox couldn't tell if she knew what was about to happen though she hardly seemed to care. The others appeared to be a mix of nervous and excited about the challenge, making it hard for him to tell if they wanted to see him get his butt kicked or not.

Krystal stepped forward enough so Fox could hear her. "Please be careful, Fox, I don't think Diana will take it easy on you."

"I know, that's not helping my confidence."

Fox remained calm on the outside though on the inside he was nearly shaking. After seeing what Diana was capable of at the embassy he'd be a fool not to be nervous. If anything he was afraid she'd go too far and snap him to pieces, wouldn't take much considering her strength. As nervous as he was Fox knew he had to put up the tough guy front not just for the others but for Diana and Torygg. If they saw him nervous they'd probably just walk out, deeming him unworthy of their support. He was determined to push down that fear as much as possible, even if he nearly passed out.

Out of the corner of his eye Fox saw Daria nearly cheering at him. "Daria, why am I not surprised you're here?"

"You make it sound like I'm excited to see you get your butt kicked." Daria sarcastically replied.

"I would be surprised if you weren't. Though you seem to be certain Diana will beat me."

"It's pretty much a guarantee, though don't worry, I think she'll hold back enough so you don't look too deformed for Krystal."

"Then why don't you stand in for him?" Krystal growled from behind Daria.

"Because I'm not stupid and she challenged Fox, not me. I'm all for a good fight but this is one I'd prefer just to watch."

Fox was about to reply when he heard the door on the other side of the room open. He turned around and nearly froze at the sight of Diana and Torygg entering the room. It was the first time he'd seen them without their armor and it quite a show. They were far more muscular than he imagined, looking almost like professional bodybuilders. He guessed it was just natural of the Sharpscales, though most of it was probably due to their extreme training. Both wore workout cloths, though nothing too tight to restrict movement or make them uncomfortable.

However, it was Diana who got Fox's undivided attention instantly, considering she was wearing a sports bra that brought her natural . . . bust size. He immediately found himself staring at her, more specifically at her breasts that the black sports bra didn't seem to cover comfortably, if anything it looked a little tight on her large melons, which he guessed were easily the size of Krystal's head; he guessed at least in the EE range. Her large stature no doubt played a role to how big her chest was but even considering that she was big. To make things worse the black sweat pants she wore drew attention to her lower half as well. Diana's rear certainly wasn't as fine as Fara's but it was still pretty nice to look at. Seeing her walk towards him made it even harder for him to restrain his gaze, he had to mentally stop himself from looking at the wrong areas in front of Krystal and Vixy.

 _WOW, she looks absolutely amazing._ Fox thought as Diana approached him, mostly focusing on her bouncing breasts that her sport bra seemed to barely hold together. _Oh boy, not sure what's going to infuriate Krystal more, the thought I just had or me starring at Diana's magnificent breasts._

Fox shook his head quickly to get the thoughts out of his mind as Diana approached him. He quickly brought his gaze and mind up from the gutter to look at her face. Through his peripheral vision he could see Krystal staring even more intently than he was, and he saw the same thing from Daria, which didn't surprise him as he knew she was bisexual. Seeing Krystal stunned eased his concern, giving him hope that she was too distracted by Diana to read his mind.

Diana stopped just in front of Fox and looked down at him. "You ready for this Fox?"

Fox shrugged as best he could. "As ready as I'm gonna be I guessing."

"You sure, you don't look ready?"

"I think he's nervous about fighting a woman." Miyu called out from the sideline, Fox was aware she was lying and knew he was distracted by Diana's body. "He's a gentleman in a strange way, he doesn't like to hit women."

"He also realized he probably can't beat a beast of a woman like you." Daria added with quite a bit of sarcasm to Diana.

"Hm, you know what Daria, you do have a point, there's quite a difference between us." Diana replied, seeming to think did a moment. "You knew what, given the size and strength difference between us, I'll give you a handicap. I will not use my tail in this fight, just my hands and feet."

"You sure about that, doesn't seek fair to me?"

"Trust my sister, it is more than fair. Our tails are the strongest limbs we have, capable of breaking bones and sending even large opponents flying with ease." Torygg replied before Diana could, get a glare from him. "So, at least it'll be slightly equal for you."

Fox sighed. "Alright, if that's what you want."

"Good, then let's get started." Diana replied with an eager smile that disturbed Fox.

Fox nodded then he and Diana walked towards the center of the sparing mat, taking positions a short distance apart. He took an agile and defensive stance as she took an offensive looking stance, giving him the impression she was going to fight aggressively.

"Fox, are you ready?" Daria shouted.

Fox reluctantly nodded, swallowing the fear he felt standing in front of Diana. Even though he knew the woman was using a handicap he couldn't shake the feeling that she was still going to be a tough opponent to face. At least he'll have the big speed advantage over her, most of the larger reptiles weren't fast, just really strong. As long as he avoided her blows he should be fine.

Daria stepped between them, acting like the referee, and turned towards Diana. "You ready girl?"

"Oh yeah, I'm ready." Diana replied in a deep, almost scary voice.

"Alright then." Daria said as she rose up her left arm. "Ready, FIGHT!"

Diana suddenly rushed forward at blinding speed at Fox as soon as Daria signaled the fight to start. Fox barely caught her movement in time to see her throw a hook at his head to duck under it. The blow came so close that he could feel the force coming from her fist as it passed over her head. But that's when he noticed her knee screaming towards him and he realized she had tricked him into ducking to make him an easier target for a stronger attack. Knowing he couldn't absorb or divert the blow he quickly rolled to the right, barely avoiding her knee destroying his head. As soon as Fox recovered from the roll he saw Diana already moving towards him to attempt a tackle. Using all the strength in his legs he propelled himself to the side avoiding her charge by inches. However, he had little time to recover as she quickly stopped herself and turned towards him, once again resuming her attack.

 _Holy crap, how fast is she?_ Fox thought as he barely dodged another strike. _She might not be quite as strong as General Scales but she's definitely faster and her strikes are more precise. What's scary is she's most likely holding back her strength and skills, otherwise I'd probably be dead by now."_

Knowing he couldn't remain on the defense forever Fox decided to switch to offense as Diana threw a punch aimed at his head. He ducked just in time to avoid getting his skull crushed only to throw a strike of his own at her stomach. His fist connected to her stomach but seemed to have little effect, if anything it felt like he had just punched a metal wall. Diana hardly reacted to his strike other than bending down to absorb the blow. She quickly responded with an upward strike aimed at Fox's chest. In his position and the distance between them there was no time to dodge so he raised his arm up to take the hit. Her fist collided into his forearm with such force that he was throw backwards. Incredible pain shot through his forearm causing him to think it was broken. Trying his best to ignore the pain he recovered quickly landing quickly in a defensive stance.

 _Damn she's relentless and built like a tank. It's as if she's designed to absorb damage. A weaker person would be gasping for breath after that punch._ Fox thought as he saw Diana ready herself for another charge. _I may have to target her head, though getting a blow up that high will be difficult. No doubt she can handle head blows to so I'm gonna have to be precise._

Diana rushed at Fox again but he was ready for her. Waiting for her to strike, he held his ground till she was nearly on top of him where she threw an uppercut. He jumped right before the blow would've made contact and spun to his right, using the momentum to throw a powerful spinning kick, his heel connecting with her head. The blow threw Diana off balance and almost to the ground but she caught herself before she fell. At first thought the blow was effective till he landed and saw her smile at him.

 _Dang it, I missed her temple. She would be staggering at the very least if my aim had been accurate._

Diana took advantage of Fox's stunned moment to launch an attack of her own. She launched her first at him, aiming at his stomach. It was too late for him to reply as her fist connected with his side. Thankfully, the blow hit below his ribs or at least one would've easily broke. He went flying through the air and landed on the ground with a loud thud. The landing would've knocked the air out of him if there was any left after Diana's blow. Gasping for breath Fox tried his best to recover knowing Diana would be at him again if he didn't recover quickly.

 _Okay, striking her didn't work, I should've known that. Might need a visit to the ER after that blow._ Fox thought as he stood up. _If I can't hold out by striking, I definitely can't evade effectively after that blow, I may have to resort to something else._

Fox lowered his body as Diana smiled back at him. She seemed to be impressed that he was still fighting though that hardly stopped her from fighting. He was certain she knew he was damaged and was probably looking to exploit it. Almost expectedly, Diana rushed at him again though slower than previous times. She opened her arms appearing to grab him only for him to lunge at her and duck under her grasp putting himself behind her. Before Diana could recover Fox jumped on her back and wrapped his arms around her neck and right shoulder, doing his best to restrain her. Pulling back on her arm as hard as he could seemed to do little beyond keep her in his grasp, even though he heard a loud pop when he pulled. His grasp on her neck seemed to have little effect as well as she fought back to get him off. Diana spun around and tried to grab Fox to pry him off but his grip remained strong despite her incredible strength. Everything became a blur as he held on for dear life, knowing it was kind of true. Every second of her struggles weakened his grip to where he feared if it failed, knowing if it did he'd wouldn't her the strength to fight her off.

"Time, one minute is up." Daria shouted.

Fox immediately let go of Diana only to immediately regret it out of fear hoping she wouldn't attack him. He watched nervously as she rubbed her shoulder seeming to be in pain, which was really the only damage he did to her, he doubted any of his blows did much to her. On the other hand his body ached heavily from the blows he received from her, she packed considerable strength in her blows and each one no doubt left a bruise.

Krystal and Vixy rushed to his side and comforted him. Krystal had to restrain Vixy from jumping into his arms so she didn't hurt him. He was glad she saw his pain otherwise Vixy jumping at him would've seriously hurt.

Diana turned around and looked at Fox, rubbing her shoulder. "You did better than I predicted. What would you say Torygg?"

Torygg mumbled for a moment as he seemed to plan out his words. "He lasted a minute with you without any major injuries, even with your tail handicap, that's quite impressive. He may be small but he's quick and agile. There was also a fighting spirit burning that prevented him from giving up. I can't say that I'm not impressed."

"I got a feeling there's a but in there." Miyu added.

"There is." Daria replied, getting everyone's attention. "Fox needs to work on his strength to make his moves effective against larger opponents like Diana and General Scales. While his grappling moves and strikes are effective against average opponents he just doesn't possess the strength to properly do damage. He also lacked precision in his strikes which dampened the blows. His kick to the head is the perfect example. While it would've most likely knocked out a weaker opponent, because it missed her temple the damage was significantly less than what it could've been. If it had connected to her temple then she would've, at the very least, been significantly stunned, opening her up for a finishing blow."

Diana looked at Daria impressed. "Hard to imagine she's the younger sibling with that kind of knowledge."

"That's my sister for ya, she's crazy smart and talented in melee and CQC combat. Though she does have a point, I do need to work on my strength and precision. Still we can address that later." Fox replied with a slight smile before looking at Diana and Torygg seriously. "So, will you two stay on the team for the time being?"

Diana and Torygg looked at each other for a moment before Diana stepped forward and said with a smile. "Fox McCloud, it'd be an honor to fight alongside you."

* * *

Space Dynamic's office

 _Uh, what a day._ Fara mumbled to herself as she typed away at her computer. _Is there ever going to be a day when Star Fox doesn't make it a little bit harder for me?_

Fara sighed loudly as she scanned through the records the military sent her on the Venom embassy raid. Colonel Patrenksi sent her nearly all the records they found at the embassy, it was a lot more than she predicted. It took the entire Space Dynamics records division hours to comb through it all. What they found was astonishing to say the least, the data showed locations of more than a dozen Venom resistance bases located throughout the Lylat System. They found records of troop movements, spy networks, plans for future attacks, even blackmail and mercenary funds. With the data recovered they could finally end the Venom resistance that's been plaguing the system ever since the Lylat Wars ended. What creeped out Fara more than anything was what Fox discovered deep in the embassy basement alongside the two Sharpscale warriors he told her about earlier. He knew what it was immediately and she figured it out once he filled her in; a black hole bomb, the exact same design Andross used nearly two decades ago against James. Just hearing about it terrified Fara, knowing that the Venomians not only had one but were planning to use it. She was just glad it was now in Space Dynamics hands, the only problem was deciding what to do with it, at the moment she was planning on destroying it so the technology wouldn't be misused.

A sudden knock on Fara's door got her attention. She looked up to see a horned, feminine figure through the glass. Given the time she was a little suspicious of who it was, hardly anyone was at the office other than her, security, and a few others.

"Who is it?" Fara called out.

"It's Mrs. Pol, I have a report from one of our recon units that you need to see."

"Alright, come on in."

The door opened and a small antelope stepped into Fara's office. She almost ran to her desk carrying a data disc, setting it down before her. Fara was caught a little off guard by her actions, normally she was so calm, and whatever data she had must be important.

"Ah, Mrs. Pol, nice to see you again." Fara said with a smile as she sat up in her chair, trying to calm her down. "How is your husband doing after his surgery?"

"He's doing fine, slowly recovering. The doctors said he'll be fully healed in a couple months."

"Glad to hear it." Fara replied as she shifted in her seat. "So, is there something you wish to discuss with me?"

"Uh, yes ma'am, it's our recon team 14, researching anomalies by the space around Fichina. They had a rather . . . interesting occurrence a couple hours ago."

"Hm, what happened?"

"Well . . . according to the report they were getting ready for bed when they intercepted a distress call from a nearby ship. They investigated to discover it was a Venomian shuttle, the type the Venom insurgents use."

Fara looked at Mrs. Pol shocked and intrigued. "Huh, a scout team picking up an Venom shuttle blasting a distress signal, sounds suspicious to me. I would've expected it to be a trap."

"That's what they thought to, though for some reason they decided to investigate. Our recon teams are armed, you made that a requirement, but even they were cautious.

"Smart, never can be too cautious when Venomians are involved. So, what did they find?"

"That's one of the many shocking things about this. Once they connected to the shuttle they found only two people inside, a female panther and a little hybrid child. The woman identified herself as Cara Caruso and the child is her daughter."

"Huh, Cara Caruso, yeah that name sounds familiar. If I remember correctly there was a major news story a few years back of her disappearance over Fichina. She also didn't have a kid at the time, or was even married. Even more confusing, you said the child was a hybrid?"

"Yes ma'am, the child, Cara named her Felicity, appears to be a panther and Fox hybrid. According to the report Felicity's age suggests she was conceived after she disappeared over Fichina, which means her father is either still down there or dead."

"That's . . . strange to say the least. Though we can address that issue later. Did she say what happened to her on Fichina.

Mrs. Pol replied as she looked back at her notes. "According to her report her ship was brought down by a severe storm onto the South Pole where she's been surviving all this time till her recent escape and recovery. Since the scout team picked her up she's been demanding to speak to you, saying it's quite urgent."

"That sounds like it'll be quite a story, hopefully they're both fine. Though why would she demand to speak to me?"

"Well, she's been making these quite . . . bold claims that I think you would be very interested in."

"Uh, what kind of claims is she making?"

Mrs. Pol looked down at the pad she was carrying for a moment before responding, seeming to find an answer. "Hm, I'll start off with the least surprising. She claimed that the Venomian army have built a secret research facility on the South Pole of Fichina where she's been stuck. Cara didn't mention much as she wasn't a hundred percent certain of what they were doing."

Fara looked down at her desk and thought for a moment before replying. "Hm, a Venom base on the South Pole of Fichina, hard to imagination but also believable. I don't remember anything about a Venom base in the records Colonel Patrenksi sent me from the embassy assault, must be top secret even to them. It's definitely something we should look into."

"I definitely agree, though that's not as shocking as who she said was at the base at the time of her escape."

"I got a feeling I'm not going to like her claim."

"No, you certainly will not. According to the report, Cara stated that she saw Andross herself."

Fara gasped. "Ho . . . how is that even possible? How many times do we have to kill that ape before he stays dead? Cara's making a VERY bold claim, hopefully she has proof."

"The report didn't say if she did or not. I think she's waiting till she speaks to you."

"Then we need to get her here as soon as possible. Have the scout team return with Cara and her daughter as quickly as possible."

"Of course Miss Phoenix." Mrs. Pol exclaimed and turned around to leave only to stop in her tracks and turn back towards Fara. "There is one more thing, Miss Phoenix. Given your connection to the McCloud family I think it's one you really need to hear."

Fara looked at Mrs. Pol greatly intrigued. "I'm almost afraid to ask but what is it?"

"Uh, I don't know how to say it so I'll just come out and state it." Mrs. Pol replied, taking a deep breath. "According to Cara, not only is your ex brother-in-law Todd McCloud alive but he is still on Fichina watching over the Venom facility, making sure Andross doesn't escape. On top of that she claimed that Todd is her daughter's father."

Fara's jaw dropped and her body seemed to stiffen to the point she could hardly move. If it wasn't for her fur Mrs. Pol would've seen how pale she had become at the mention of Todd. For the first time in years, Fara found herself unable to speak, only able to mutter incoherent words causing Mrs. Pol to look at her worriedly.

"Th . . . this is . . . this is unbelievable." Fara stuttered once she managed to regain a little composure. "Mrs. Pol, bring Cara, her daughter, and the everything on the subject you can gather to me as quickly as you can. Let no one else see the data she has. I need to see this for myself."

"At once Miss Phoenix."

X

Great Fox playroom

"Where is that little fur ball?" Fox said softly as he walked quickly down the hallway. "It's past her nap time."

A loud sigh escaped Fox's mouth as he walked into the kitchen to find it empty and no Vixy. That was the fifth room he checked and didn't find her, of hardly anyone. She wasn't in the hangar with Miyu, Slippy, and Falco who were working on their fighters. He checked the bridge where he found Fay and Peppy watching the monitors but no Vixy. In the weight room he saw Torygg working with Daria and Krystal on grappling techniques but Vixy wasn't among them. He was starting to get frustrated and a little nervous not finding Vixy.

Fox was still a little shaken from Daria, Fay, and Miyu's announcement of them being discharged from the military. Fay and Miyu's announcement didn't surprise him at all, he knew they were thinking of leaving the military anyway. It was Daria's announcement that caught him off guard, especially since she just walked right up to him and said it. It took a moment for it to register in his mind but once it did she followed up with the three of them joining Star Fox. Fox nearly blurted out "NO" but realized he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. So he reluctantly agreed, for the time being. As soon as he said yes they left to claim their rooms leaving him both happy and nervous.

Star Fox was getting a little big with so many members, and no current contract to work on. Though with the data from the Venom embassy passed on to the proper authorities he knew that was about to change. All he had to do was wait and soon they'd be swimming in jobs attacking no longer hidden Venom bases. He decided to use that time to spend with Vixy, though he was having a tough time finding her.

 _She must be in the rec room, probably watching that silly kids show._ Fox thought as he turned around from the kitchen and walked quickly towards the rec room.

After a few minutes Fox reached the rec room and moved to open the door when he heard Vixy's voice nearly shouting. "That's incredible Diana, what happened next?"

Fox paused when he heard Vixy's voice. _Wait, is Vixy in the rec room with Diana? What are they doing in there?_

Fox pushed the door open enough to peek through to see Vixy seated cross-legged on the couch looking excitedly at Diana who was smiling playfully down at her. For the first time in weeks he was seeing Vixy actually calmed down and paying attention to someone telling a story, something he thought was impossible. To his surprise Vixy actually looked entertained by what Diana was saying.

"And then Alexander Sharpscale, with his tribe finally reunited, set out to bring peace to all of the Venom tribes, a task that many thought to be impossible." Diana exclaimed to an excited looking Vixy. "One by one the other tribes united with him as they began to see the peace he wanted, though many resisted but not did long. Unfortunately, he died of old age before his dream came and it devastated everyone. However, his death brought all the tribes together and not even a year later full peace was finally achieved on Venom between all the tribes."

 _Huh, Diana's telling Vixy the legend of Alexander Sharpscale, the warrior who somehow managed to end the tribal wars of Venomians that had lasted centuries._ Fox thought as he leaned against the wall so he could hear better.

"That's an amazing story, Diana. Is he really your ancestor?" Vixy excitedly exclaimed.

Diana nodded. "He is, we Sharpscales are quite proud of her heritage, though we live in constant concern that we can't live up to them."

"From what aunt Daria told me you do, she said you were a beast on the battlefield, whatever that means."

"Aw, thanks little cutie. You sure you're only four?"

"Yes ma'am, but Miyu said I act older than my age."

Diana smirked as she patted Vixy on the head. "Well, you certainly do, there's a bright future ahead of you."

 _Is this really the same Diana as who yesterday I saw charging into the Venom embassy and earlier today was kicking my butt?_ Fox thought as he watched Diana and Vixy through the door.

After everything that happened with Diana he was having a hard time comprehending what he was seeing. She was absolutely beast on the battlefield just like Daria said and outside of it often seen shy and distant. They've had a few conversations after their fight but she didn't give much away, appearing to be nervous talking to him, especially when Krystal was around. Seeing her currently with Vixy was a shock to say the least. He didn't think she had a sensitive side but there it was happening right in front of him. Diana seemed to be enjoying herself with Vixy, the little kit had that effect on people, and seeing it warmed Fox's heart, making him smile. He couldn't help but find it a little attractive, seeing a woman be so good and kind of his daughter. It seemed to bring out Diana's hidden beauty, that deep down she was sensitive and kind, despite her natural aggression.

The fight with Diana came vividly back into his mind, but instead of focusing on his fear of getting pounded Fox found himself visualizing Diana. He'd been too busy trying to avoid her blows to focus on her, more specifically on her body. It was then he realized how gorgeous she really was and how fine of a figure she had. She had even better curves than Krystal, especially in her chest area. He suddenly remembered how much she had been bouncing in her sports bra during the fight; quite a lot. If he hadn't been focused on avoiding her strikes he realized would've been hypnotized by her massive breasts bouncing around like crazy. He'd heard rumors that Sharpscale women were busty but never thought they'd be like Diana, even though he considered it more of a genetic thing since her species were naturally quite tall and muscular. The more Fox thought about the fight the more he found himself envisioning her in his bed "wrestling" with him. He had similar thoughts about Krystal but the ones with her were more passionate and gentle while with Diana it was rough and dominating.

Suddenly, Fox was snapped back to reality by the sound of Vixy's laughter combined with Diana's from the rec room. _Wait a minute, what the heck am I thinking? Did I really just think of Diana like that? I must be losing my mind._

Fox shook his head as he stepped away from the door. He knew he shouldn't be thinking about Diana like that, especially with a telepath on board. If Krystal picked up on those thoughts he suspected she'd probably blast his manhood off. If Fara found out she'd probably shoot him out the airlock. Besides, he hardly knew Diana, to be thinking about her in such a sexual way after they just met barely a day ago was just wrong. However, he'd be lying if he admitted he didn't think she wasn't special, in an attractive but strong kind of way, he did have a thing for strong women and Diana was the epitome of that. At the very least he should be friendly with her, for the time being, maybe he'll see how a friendship with her will play out, though he doubted it'd end up with them shaking the bed.

Fox sighed as he pushed the thoughts of Diana out of his mind and turned around to head for the kitchen only to see Peppy fast approaching him. Despite his age and health the old hare could still move surprisingly fast. As he approached Fox noticed the concerned look on Peppy's face, causing him to become concerned, it was never a good sign when Peppy was worried about something.

"Peppy, is something wrong?" Fox asked.

"At the moment, no, there is no trouble out there. I was just coming to tell you that Fara just called."

"Really . . . well, what does she want?"

"She didn't say, she wants to speak to you directly." Peppy replied.

"Alright, you have her call waiting for me?"

"That's not what I meant by directly."

Fox looked at Peppy confused. "Then, what do you mean?"

"That she's on her way here to discuss something of vital importance with all of us. She said it was something we needed to hear in person, especially you and Daria."

A shiver ran down Fox's spine at the mention of Fara visiting. He knew it would happen at some point but was still dreading it, especially after their hologram conversation in the briefing room after the Saurian Crisis. On top of that he couldn't help but be concerned of what Fara would think when she met Diana and Krystal, surely that wouldn't go well.

"Uh, thanks Peppy, did she say when she'll be here?" Fox stuttered.

"A few hours at the most. So if I were you I'd get prepared for her visit."

"I'll get right on it, thanks Peppy."

"You're welcome Fox." Peppy replied than turned to leave.

Fox let out a big sigh as he watched Peppy walk away. _If Fara is calling us together she must've found something important in the data we sent her. Whatever it is it can't be good._

To be continued.

* * *

So, Daria, Fay, and Miyu all got released from the Cornerian military and are now a part of Star Fox, talk about a tough break for Fox. On top of that he had a very tough fight to get Diana and Torygg on the team temporarily, though it caused a lot of bruises. We now know what Fox thinks of Diana, will that go anywhere and what will Krystal think, even worse how will Fara react when she finds out. Finally, now that Cara and Felicity are safe what will happen? How will Fox and company react discovering that Todd is not only still alive but will soon meet his daughter and mate? Even more important, what will happen when everyone finds out Andross is still alive?

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	17. New Family?

Here we are, the next chapter of Star Fox Annihilation and yet somehow it's still going smoothly, I've very surprised at that.

This chapter will be a lot shorter than the others, only having two scenes. That's good for me though this chapter is still important as two VERY important things happen that we've been with for. Hopefully they live up to the hype.

The only thing I'm disappointed in is how low this story is in reviews and attention it's getting. I know I may be asking a lot but if you're reading this story please leave a review, even a short one, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 16: New Family?

Great Fox hangar

 _Dang it, where the heck is she?_

Fox thought as he paced back and forth in front of his Arwing.

Looking up at the clock hanging over his Arwing he deduced he'd been waiting on Fara for nearly an hour. After Peppy gave him the message that Fara was coming to discuss something important, he agreed to wait in the hangar till she arrived. If he had known it would take so long to arrive he would've put lil Vixy to bed first, something that takes forever, before heading to the hangar. Instead, there he was, strutting around the place waiting for his ex-wife to arrive. It wasn't good on his mental state as his mind wondered on possibilities of how Fara would react around Krystal, and possibly Diana. Knowing Fara's jealous tendencies he didn't see too many positive possibilities.

Fox was beginning to get frustrated when he heard the hangar door slide open. He turned around to see Krystal enter. She had a slight but nervous smile on as she approached him. Seeing her was not what he expected or hoped to see in the hangar when Fara arrived. Despite that he was still glad to see her.

"Krystal, what are you doing here?" Fox nervously asked.

"I was on the bridge with Peppy when Fara's call came through. I figured I'd at least come with you and meet her. I'm bound to meet her sooner or later so I wanted to get it over with."

"Can't say I blame you, though I'm not sure how Fara would respond seeing you."

"I don't think it'll be too bad. She strikes me as a well composed professional, so I think we'll be fine."

Before Fox could reply he heard the hangar door open behind them again. He turned around to see Diana enter with Vixy following close behind her. Vixy looked a little tired, it was well past her bed time but it didn't seem to slow her down as she ran to his side. Diana had a slight smile which made him uneasy as it was something he'd rarely seen with her. Krystal nodded at Diana with a big smile and she returned it.

Fox looked at Diana confused as she approached him. "Diana, why are you here?"

"I overhead you and Peppy speaking so I figured I'd join you. It's an opportunity to meet Fara and I thought that Vixy would want to see her mother." Diana replied as she leaned in close to Fox and whispered. "Next time try speaking quieter, we reptiles have better hearing than you think."

"Ah, well I'll definitely take that under advisement. After our fight you're the last person on this ship I want mad at me."

"Hm, never imagined the great Fox McCloud would be scared of anything, but I'm at least glad it's me."

Fox picked up Vixy and was about to reply to Diana only to hear what sounded like a shuttle approaching. He turned to see a Space Dynamics shuttle nearing the hangar entrance. A lump settled in his throat as he watched the shuttle slowly enter the hangar and land at the nearest available spot. He could feel himself getting nervous as the shuttle landed followed by the back doors opening. Krystal and Diana stood behind him as he waited patiently but also nervously, having them nearby made him less nervous but not by much. After a few moments Fara stepped out of the shuttle and looked straight at Fox and the others and waved at them with a smile. She seemed slightly awkward about something which was unheard of. Whatever Fara had on her mind must've been very important if she appeared to be so nervous.

 _Okay, here we go._ Fox thought as watched Fara approach them.

"Fara, it's good to see you again." Fox said as he lowered Vixy to the ground.

Vixy ran to Fara and jumped into her arms. Fara hugged Vixy tight and kissed her on the head. Fox had to hold back a grin watching Vixy's tail wag so quickly it was almost a blur. He did let out a soft sigh upon noticing that Fara didn't look angry in the slightest, he figured she'd have some anger left over after she saw the video of him and Krystal. Either Vixy did her job at making Fara happy or there was something major on her mind that distracted her from it.

Fara smiled as she nodded back at Fox. "It's good to see you still alive and well. You seem to be doing a good job at keeping Vixy happy."

"That's easier than you think. She's had no shortage of excitement around here lately."

"Which had me worried about her safety, though I had a feeling you'd keep her out of harms way." Fara replied then looked towards Krystal and Diana. "So, this is Krystal and Diana Sharpscale? They certainly look like interesting individuals."

Fox couldn't help but smirk. "They definitely are. I guess they came along to meet you."

"Then introductions are required my dear Fox."

"Of course, where are my manners." Fox responded as he stepped towards Krystal first. "Fara, I'd like you to meet Krystal, the woman who helped us on Sauria."

Though it was subtle Fox noticed Fara's expression quickly change from happy to what seemed to be anger. Despite only displaying the emotion for an instant it was enough for him to notice, he could also see daggers shoot out of Fara's eyes into Krystal's face. As quickly as the expression appeared it disappeared, though he was certain Krystal noticed it, no way her telepathy didn't pick up on it.

Krystal smiled as best she could as she approached Fara. "It's an honor to meet you Miss Phoenix. Fox has told me a lot about you. I know what you saw about me and him but I hope there will be no tension between us. I don't want us getting off on the wrong foot."

Fara laughed softly as she shook Krystal's hand. "You got nothing to worry about, Fox and I aren't married anymore so no hard feelings."

"That's . . . not what I thought you'd say the first time we met. I figured you'd be a little more mad."

"Of course not, anger gets people nowhere. I might be a little jealous but I'm not angry. I want us to get along so we'll see where it goes. I'll have a talk with Fox later though, when things aren't so . . . difficult."

"Uh, difficult?"

"Yeah, that's the best word I can think of at the moment. There are quite a few things going on so we don't really have the time to talk." Fara replied with a sigh. "But I would like a conversation with you later."

"We'll see, I hope that happens to. I'd like to clear the air if possible."

"That makes two of us." Fara said with a grin then looked up at Diana and approached her. "Mrs. Sharpscale, it's an honor to meet you. The reports I've read speak very highly of you and your brother."

Diana nodded, giving Fara a slight smile. "Thank you Miss Phoenix, I'm not used to getting compliments."

"Hm, I guess we'll have to change that. In the mean time I have a feeling getting to know you is going to be fun."

Diana shrugged her shoulders. "I doubt it, outside of fighting I'm not that interesting."

"We'll see, I think you could be. Though that will have to be later, the reason I came here comes first."

"And what is that, Fara?" Fox asked as he stepped towards Fara. "You have yet to mention why you came here."

"I know, that's because I didn't know how to explain it." Fara replied then turned towards the shuttle and shouted. "Cara, you can come out now."

Fox looked back at the shuttle to see two figures step out; a female panther followed by a child. The woman seemed slightly familiar but not in a "we've met in person" way. She seemed a little nervous but didn't appear to let it slow her down. It was the child that got Fox's attention as she appeared to be a feline/canine hybrid. Looking closely at the child there was something very familiar in her features, as if she reminded him of someone.

Fara stepped towards the woman and child, extending an arm towards them. "Fox, Krystal, Diana, I want you to meet Cara Caruso and her daughter Felicity, they are the reason I'm here."

Fox approached Cara and offered his hand to her. "Cara, it's nice to meet you."

Cara nodded as she accepted Fox's hand. "It's nice to meet you too Fox. I've heard a lot about you."

"I'm not surprised, everyone's heard of him." Diana chimmed in only to get a lot of stares.

"That is true though my information comes from a much more . . . connected source and it's the reason I'm here."

Fox and everyone else, except Fara, looked at Cara confusedly. "What do you mean by connected source?"

"Well, uh, I'm not sure how to put it to cause the least amount of shock. Regardless I think all of you may have trouble believing it."

"They're here because of your brother, Todd." Krystal said before Cara or Fara could.

Fara and Cara looked at Krystal shocked and confused. The expressions on their faces made Fox nearly bust out laughing. Vixy didn't hold back a giggle while Diana barely shrugged.

Fox shrugged at Fara. "I told you in reports that she's a telepath."

"Ah, yeah I remember that. I guess it'll take some getting used to."

"A long time most likely. I'm still not used to her saying what's on my mind."

"And I'm sorry about that." Krystal said to Fara. "I often forget I'm not among my own people so I tend not to say what's on my mind or say things I see on other people's minds."

Fara shrugged. "It's fine, I guess as long as you don't do it too much or dig too deep into my mind, there's a lot of sensitive information in there."

"I'll try but can't make any certain promises, could happen accidentally."

"Then please, don't read my mind unless necessary."

To Fox that last comment from Fara seemed a little too aggressive, her tone certainly didn't help. She did have a reason to be assertive, as the CEO of Space Dynamics she had access to a lot of top secret information to not just her company but also for the Cornerian military. For that reason Fara could suspect Krystal of spying or as a security risk at the very least. However, Fox thought her response to Krystal was a little too aggressive, she could definitely have toned it down, though saying that to her would not be good for his health.

A short silence followed as no one seemed to know what to say. To Fox he guessed it was probably a combination of Cara's mysterious replies and Fara's outburst to Krystal, if it could be called that. He wanted to move on from the telepathy conversation to what Cara was doing there but couldn't find the words to say. It wasn't till he felt Vixy tugging on his shirt that the situation seemed to change.

"Daddy, why does that little kit look a little like uncle Todd." Vixy asked as she pointed towards Felicity.

Fara smiled as she bent over and patted Vixy on the head. "Well, that's because she is part of him little Vixy. Felicity here is your cousin."

An eerie silence fell over the hangar as Fox's mind tried to wrap itself what Fara said. He knew Fara had a dark sense of humor but if she was joking that was way too far for her usual jokes. However, when it came to family she didn't joke around and the look on her face was deadly serious.

"What . . . what are saying?" Fox stuttered.

Cara sighed as she stepped forward. "I was stuck on Fichina with your brother, he is the reason we're alive. Felicity is Todd's daughter and your niece."

Fox took a step back to keep himself from falling. He tried to comprehend what Cara just said but it didn't seem possible. What little she said told him so much that it was almost too much to take in. All he could do was stutter and stare back and forth from Cara to Felicity trying to understand what she said. Though the shock was intense he could see it was having a significant impact on Diana and Krystal as well but he was taking it far worse than both of them combined.

Fara laid a hand on Fox's shoulder. "Assemble everyone on the bridge and we'll explain everything."

X

Great Fox Bridge 

"WAIT, YOU'RE TELLING ME TODD IS ALIVE, AND THAT YOU'RE HIS MATE AND SHE'S HIS DAUGHTER?!" Daria shouted at Cara, pointing briefly at Felicity.

Everyone on the bridge would've looked at Daria after her outburst if they weren't already starring shockingly at Cara and Felicity, even Diana and Torygg appeared to be stunned. When Fox summoned everyone to the bridge the last thing she and the others expected to hear was Cara explaining that Todd, the brother who she believed to be dead, was not only still alive but also the father of the Panther/fox hybrid in front of her. Cara just dropped the news bomb right out of the gate with little backstory besides saying that Todd was still alive. It had become so quiet that they could hear the small asteroid peddles brushing on the Great Fox's hull from inside the bridge. Apparently the only person who wasn't shocked was Fara, probably because Cara already explained it to her.

Cara nodded. "Yes, and I know it's hard to believe but I'm telling the truth."

"I know how you guys are feeling, I had trouble believing it too when I first heard it." Fara said as she stepped forward. "That's why to confirm it I had my science team do a DNA test on Felicity. Without a doubt she is Todd's daughter."

"So, that makes me a double aunt now?" Daria said in a slightly sarcastic tone.

Cara nodded. "Yes, I know it's a major shock and I'm sorry for it but . . ."

Fox raised his hand towards Cara to stop her. "There's nothing to be sorry about, my sister and I are estatic about the news, so will the rest of the family when they find out. We're just glad to hear that you two and Todd are still alive. We'll discuss more details later on Felicity, kind of a big shock and probably something that should be discussed privately in family."

"I agree, her existence is out of blue so I understand that it's a private family matter. Even Todd and I had a tough time raising her."

"Which is why I have a major question. I thought that it was impossible for a feline to reproduce with a canine?" Fay blurted out.

"Uh, apparently it's not as we're looking at the proof of that." Diana said pointing at Felicity. "Though even I'm curious as to how it happened."

"I think that's something best explained when the children aren't around." Fox stated, getting a nod from everyone.

Out of the corner of her eye Daria saw Vixy and Felicity standing awkwardly close to each other. Felicity stopped right in front of Vixy and strangely sniffed her as if she was sniffing her prey or trying to determine who Vixy was. Vixy remained calm as she appeared to observe Felicity, apparently curious as to what she'd do. After some time Felicity finally reached towards Vixy and hug her. Vixy hardly moved a muscle as Felicity hugged her till she finally gave in and hugged back. Watching it nearly made Daria laugh, she'd never seen Vixy cautious towards anyone before but Felicity was different. Felicity did seem to be a little feral, maybe it was her long, matted fur or unusually long, sharp claws. Perhaps being on Fichina her whole short life had an effect on her. Daria had a feeling getting Felicity to adjust to living in a civilization may be a bit of a challenge. She quickly pushed the thought out of her mind as Felicity and Vixy starred at each other, neither seemed sure what to do. No one else seemed to notice, they were too busy popping question after question at Cara who tried her best to answer.

As Daria watched Felicity and Vixy a thought crossed her mind causing her to turn towards Cara and softly growl. "If what you say is true than where is Todd?"

Cara lowered her head as she answered. "Still on Fichina, he stayed behind."

"WHAT, why the heck would he do that?" Miyu shouted, getting all eyes on her and causing Cara to step back and angrily glare at her.

"He had to stay, someone had to keep Andross from leaving."

The mention of Andross' name caused the room to fall deathly silent with a few gasps. Daria nearly dropped her coffee and she saw Fox appear to nearly stumble at Cara's response. No one said a word for what felt like forever, even Daria couldn't find the words to say.

"Andross . . . you're saying that . . . "Diana shouted only to stop when she seemed to notice the children looking at her. ". . . ape is still alive?"

Cara nodded reluctantly. "Yes, I saw him myself. I cannot say what he's doing there but it can't be good."

"With Andross it never is." Fay added.

"If Andross is on Fichina then why did you leave him there?" Miyu shouted, Daria sensing some anger in her tone.

Cara glared angrily at Miyu. "I didn't leave Todd behind, if it was my choice he'd be right here beside me."

"Uh, what do you mean?" Fox asked.

Cara let out a loud sigh. "Todd chose to stay behind. He said he had to keep Andross from leaving Fichina at all costs. So he commendered a shuttle for Felicity and me so we could escape and bring word of Andross to Cornerian. His specific orders were get to Fara Phoenix and tell her everything."

"Yeah, that definitely sounds like Todd." Daria said with a smirk. "He always was selfless when it came to combat and his teammates, especially when his family was involved."

"That's one reason why I fell in love with him. I tried to convince him to come along but he said he couldn't leave knowing Andross was still around."

"So he stayed behind so you two could escape and to prevent Andross from escaping?" Krystal asked.

"Yes, and somehow I know he's still alive." Cara replied then nearly shouted in a determined tone. "That's why we need to get to Fichina as soon as possible, to save Todd."

Falco replied with a sigh. "As much as I hate to be that guy, I have to ask, how do we know she's telling the truth?"

"Because I can tell you she's not." Krystal exclaimed immediately having all eyes on her. "Part of my telepathy allows me to tell if a person is lying. From what I've sensed, everything Cara said is true."

"You're telepathy comes in handy Krystal." Daria said, noticing Krystal blush, then looked back at everyone. "Even without telepathy it's obvious she's telling the truth. You can tell it by her expression."

Cara gave Daria and Krystal reassuring smiles. "Thank you, but if you do believe me what are you going to do about it? Are you going to rescue my mate?"

"Of course, even if I have to go there myself." Daria loudly exclaimed,

"Thankfully that is not necessary." Fox said as he laid a hand on Daria's shoulder. "I couldn't call myself a McCloud if I didn't rescue my brother and dealt with the man who killed my mother. We're going to get him back."

Daria felt pride swell up in her chest as she looked at her older brother. She half expected him to hesitate and delay to call for help. Seeing Fox jump right into the fire with her reminded Daria of the McCloud spirit their family proudly shared. She'd be honored to fly and fight alongside her brother any time.

Slippy suddenly stepped forward. "I'm not trying to ruin the moment but just how are we going to do that? We cannot just barge to Fichina to rescue Todd and take out Andross."

"That's a good question Slippy, one we really need help dealing with." Peppy replied then turned towards Fox. "We need to tell Corneria what's going on."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Peppy." Fara exclaimed. "No doubt there a spies within the government and military. Till my researchers comb through all the data you sent us from the Venom embassy attack we can't be certain who we can trust. The risk of the word getting out is pretty high."

"On top of that it'd take too long for Corneria to mobilize to Fichina, the military isn't exactly the fastest thanks to all the procedures and red tape." Miyu added.

"And we have to worry about Todd as well. Every second we spend here increases the danger for him." Daria responded worriedly.

"That's why the only people who know this are in this room and a few researchers I trust." Fara added. "This information needs to stay between us for the time being."

"So, you're saying we need to deal with this ourselves?" Fox asked getting a nod from Fara. "That certainly complicates things, getting to the South Pole of Fichina isn't easy, it'd be nice to have some assistance."

"Hey Peppy, isn't Lucy on Fichina?" Fay asked.

"Yes, she's doing some research there on a facility. I can't tell you what it is?" Peppy replied with a shrug.

"Huh, do you think she could help us?"

Peppy seemed to think about it for a minute before replying. "I'm not certein though I can give her a call at least."

Peppy turned and left the bridge to the comm room leaving everyone else behind. No one said a word for the longest time, even though there was no doubt plenty of questions for Cara. Daria had numerous questions for Cara and wanted to spend time getting to know Felicity who was still playing with Vixy. Instead, she knew there would be time for that later, there was a more important question running through her mind she had for Fox.

Daria looked at her brother and said in a proud tone. "So, bro, what do you say we get our brother back and end that Ape once and for all?"

* * *

South Pole, Fichina 

_What the hell are they talking about down there?_ Todd thought as he peered through the binoculars at the Venom facility below him, angry that the microphone option had broken.

Lying in the snow, Todd could only sigh from the cliff side he lied in as the Venomians below him ran about their business. The snow slowly buried him to the point where he blended in perfectly with the environment, only his head and binoculars were visible. He didn't feel the cold thanks to his thick coat, that wasn't his concern anyway. If the microphone option on the binoculars hadn't broken he could pick up on what they were saying. Instead, he had to guess what they were saying, unfortunately he wasn't a lip reader. It had recently gotten too dangerous to attempt to get closer with base patrol increase, they'd all but stopped sending out patrols and instead focused on base security, almost as if they were expecting an attack.

 _If only I could hear what they were saying, then I'd have something for when Cara brings back help._ Todd thought as he tried to focus on Andross' quarters but couldn't see through the shutters they had recently installed.

As Todd continued to look over the Venom base his mind trailed off to Cara and Felicity. Naturally, he was worried about them since their escape, he wouldn't be a real mate and father if he didn't. He knew it would most likely be some time before they came back he couldn't help but be worried about them. Anything could've happened to them though he tried not to focus on the negative. Todd had faith Cara and Felicity were safe but not knowing was killing him on the inside. He wished he could be there with them and if it wasn't for Andross he definitely would be. To Todd it was another reason amongst the endless ones to curse Andross.

 _What I wouldn't give to know how they're doing._ Todd thought, letting out a loud sigh.

Suddenly, a strong, feminine voice softly spoke behind him. "I see you're still spying on the desperate."

Todd nearly jumped from his position hearing the voice come from nowhere. He drew his tomahawk and the turned around to face who it was only to freeze when he saw her. Standing over him was the large, red furred woman he knew all too well but was still a mystery to him.

Todd sighed as he holstered his tomahawk and looked up at the woman standing above him. "Zathora, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too Todd. Nice to see you're still surviving out here."

"It hasn't been easy, the Venomians picked up patrols for a bit so it was difficult to observe Andross and the others. Thankfully they've stopped doing that recently."

Zathora nodded as she stood over him. "If anyone could survive here it's you, I did teach you a little of what I know after all."

"Hm, so I assume you're not here just to check up on me?"

"I guess I made that too obvious. There'd be no reason to check on you since I knew you'd still be alive."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I came here to inform you on the situation on Cara and Felicity, you have a right to know of their wellbeing."

"Are they alright?" Todd exclaimed loudly and worriedly.

"Yes, they were picked up by a Space Dynamics research team a day ago. Fara met with them and they've filled her in on everything. She's making sure they're taking care of."

"Good, I'm glad Fara's looking after them, she's a good woman. I'm a little surprised she could despite being the CEO's daughter."

Zathora let out a smirk. "Fara's the CEO of Space Dynamics now. Her father stepped down two years ago and she took his place."

"Seriously? Huh? Hard imagine Fara as the business type, she's always been the in-the-field type. Still it's good to know she's in charge, guess this means Cara and Felicity are in safe hands. How are they doing right now?"

"At the moment they are on the Great Fox, just finished explaining the situation to everyone. And to answer the obvious question, yes, Daria was there."

Todd nearly leapt for joy but remained calm. "That's . . . outstanding news. I bet that was a . . . unique meeting."

"It was quite entertaining to watch to say the least, I had a few laughs. Thankfully, Cara got the point across and needless to say Star Fox is headed here right now."

Todd smiled as he nodded to Zathora. "Thank you for telling me. It's a huge weight off my chest to know that they're safe and that my time here is short."

"You're welcome, I had a hunch you'd at least want to know they were safe. It should only been a little while longer till you're off this frozen wasteland." Zathora replied as she laid a hand on Todd's shoulder. "So, you think you can last here a couple of days?"

A smile crossed Todd's face as he looked back through the binoculars. "Of course, I made a promise to my family I'd make it. You know I keep my promises."

So, Cara and Felicity have finally been introduced to Fox, though it seems to have left one heck of a impact on everyone. Everyone now knows that Andross is still alive and where he is, will they arrive in time to catch him? Even bigger concern, how will Fara act around Krystal and Diana what will happen between them and Fox?

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.


	18. Reunited And It Feels So Good

Here we are again, another chapter of Star Fox Annihilation. I know I keep saying it but I'm still surprised I've made this far. Thank you guys for sticking with me this far.

I know in the last chapter some people expected Fara and Krystal to fight and might've been disappointed it didn't happen. To me it didn't seem realistic for a fight between them to happen and would've been predictable. I say unrealistic because it's the first time they've met and Fara doesn't have a real reason to attack Krystal. Sure she was jealous of Krystal after seeing the video of Fox ogling her but that's no reason to fight. On top of that, Fara's a professional pilot and businesswoman, fighting someone, over such a pathetic reason would not be realistic. There may be a fight in the future so we'll see.

The first two sections were originally not going to be in the chapter but thanks to zzdragon, I decided it couldn't hurt. We were talking about Todd and Daria when I realized that I've never written out how Todd became so important in Daria's life, which can be traced to one exact moment. It's a cute moment and I think it'd add something interesting to the story. Hope y'all enjoy the scene.

I really hope this chapter lives up the quality of the story, I've been feeling a little. . . off in my writing lately. It's to the point where I have trouble concentrating on anything, especially my writhing. I also got some original stories I'm trying to work on so we'll see if I can concentrate on multiple projects.

Hope you enjoy the chapter. 

* * *

Chapter 17: Reunited And It Feels So Good

McCloud Manner, Corneria, 20 years ago

Little Daria shivered under her bed sheets almost uncontrollably as tears soaked her cheeks. Fear overwhelmed her body even more than the bedsheets she had tightly wrapped around and over her. She remained curdled up like a ball in a fetal position almost shaking with fear. The images of her nightmare flooded her mind to the point it was all she could see. She wanted desperately to cry out for help so one or both of her parents would come but her stubbornness, combined with the fear she felt, made whimpering all she could do.

 _I can't call out, why am I so afraid?_ _I'll never be like dad if I cannot deal with a nightmare._ Daria thought as she hugged her pillow tightly against her.

Suddenly, Daria heard her door slowly open, causing her to hide deeper into her covers. She tried to remain as quiet as possible as she heard footsteps from underneath her blankets. Whoever was making them wasn't very big as they made little sound, telling her it wasn't James or Shelby. The person walked up for the edge of her bed stopped.

"Daria, are you alright?" Daria heard Todd's calm voice through the sheets.

Daria shuddered under the covers hearing Todd's voice, he was the last person she expected to be standing at her bed, besides Fox. Instead of replying she pulled the covers tighter over herself hoping he'd leave. She didn't want him to see her scared and make fun of her for it; she'd seen him do it to Fox. So, she remained quiet but Todd remained by her bed.

"Daria, I know something's wrong, I heard you whimpering and thought I'd come in check on you." Todd said as he laid a gentle hand on her that she felt through the bed sheets.

Daria peeked out of the blankets through a small hole to see Todd standing over her with a concerned look. "How could you have heard me, your room is on the other side of the house?"

"I was on my way to the kitchen to get a glass of water when I passed by your room and heard you." Todd answered as he sat on Daria's bed. "Tell me, what's wrong."

"It doesn't concern you Todd." Daria shouted.

Daria heard Todd let out a loud sigh as he shifted positions. "Daria, you are my little sister, I care about you. If something scares you I want to do what I can to help."

Daria pulled back the sheets slightly and looked up at Todd a little confused. "You really mean that?"

"Of course I do." Todd replied as he laid a comforting hand on Daria's shoulder. "Now please, tell me what's wrong,"

Daria looked down at the bed for a moment before replying. "I had a nightmare. I dreamed some giant ape head killed dad then came after Fox, then you, and finally me." A tear rolled down Daria's cheek. "His laughter was horrifying to the point I couldn't move. All I could see was him crushing you and Fox in his giant hands before he tried to eat me." Daria looked up at Todd trying not to cry. "I woke up before he could eat me and been scared to go back to sleep. I don't want to be afraid of a nightmare. I want to be brave like you and dad, not a sniveling child."

Daria looked at Todd with pleading eyes as she hugged him, not knowing why she did it. Todd wrapped an arm around her back and held her against him as she cried. His other hand gently patted her shoulder to comfort her.

"It's okay Daria." Todd said in a soft, comforting tone. "The dream is over and you're safe. No one is going to harm us."

"I know that, Todd. It's just so upsetting that I'm scared over a nightmare. I don't want to feel fear."

"Everyone experiences fear lil Daria, even me and dad. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar." Todd said as he patted Daria's shoulder. "It's okay to be afraid, what matters is how you deal with it."

Daria looked at Todd in disbelief but there was something in his expression, from what she could see in the dark, which convinced her he was right. It was hard for her to imagine either Todd or James ever feeling fear; they were the bravest people she knew. Yet, to hear even they felt fear brought an entirely different perspective to her. A multitude of questions flooded Daria's mind but she couldn't get her mouth to speak them.

Todd, seeming to understand her confused, laid a hand on her shoulder and asked. "How about this, if you want I'll teach you how to control your fear? Would you like that?"

Daria's ears perked up as she smiled out of excitement. "Will you teach me how to fight too?"

"Uh . . . I guess I can. Everyone should know how to defend themselves. So, yeah, I can teach ya."

Daria let out a loud squeal as she leapt at Todd with such force he was nearly knocked to the floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly. After a moment he returned the gesture and hugged her back.

"So I guess that's a yes?" Todd asked but Daria's only response was to nod back. "Alright, though tonight you need to get some sleep. So lay down and try and sleep."

Daria let out a whimper as she let go of Todd and laid back down in her bed. She pulled the blankets over her as she felt him pat her back. He stood up and made his way to the door despite Daria letting out the occasional whimper.

Todd was nearly out the door when he stopped and turned around. "Daria, are you still afraid?"

Daria looked down at her bed and reluctantly answered. "Yes, I'm still afraid the monster will get me."

Todd walked back to Daria's bed and sat down next to her. "Then how about I sleep with you tonight to keep you safe?"

"Really, you would do that for me?"

Todd nodded as he playfully patted Daria's head. "Of course, as your big brother it's my job to protect you."

Daria was glad it was dark so Todd couldn't see her gleam with excitement. She wanted to jump on him and hug him but resisted the urge. Instead she nodded, it was all she could do, and lied back down in bed. A moment later Todd laid down next to her and pulled the blankets over them. Almost immediately she found herself cuddling against him. Todd wrapped an arm around Daria who let out a soft purr.

"Good night lil fuzzball." Todd whispered.

Daria smiled as she snuggled against Todd. "Good night big brother."

X

Great Fox, present day

"TODD!" Daria shouted as her eyes shot open and she found herself fully awake almost instantly.

Daria's eyes darted around to find herself in her room aboard the Great Fox lying in her bed. Her eyes immediately turned to the bed hoping to find signs of Todd only to find it empty, only her white fur sheds. Her heart sank as she slowly awakened to reality that she was alone in her room.

"Oh, it was just a dream of a memory." Daria said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Damn, felt so real."

Daria laid back down in her bed and closed her eyes trying to fall asleep, to no avail. Her mind wouldn't shut off over her dream. It'd been at least a year since she had that dream so for it to come back suddenly felt weird. After lying there wide awake for nearly an hour Daria finally gave up. She stood up and got out of bed, the bed sheets falling off her bare body, revealing her nudity to the room. Ignoring the cool air in her room she made her way to her bedroom window and starred out at the vastness of space.

Looking out at the stars she felt strangely at peace, despite knowing that anyone flying near the Great Fox would have a VERY good view. Daria's mind drifted back to thoughts of Todd and how he kept his word after that night twenty years ago. That night he became her protector, watching out for her every way he could. He was always there for her when she shed a tear to make her laugh and smile. Todd went as far as to deal with her bullies when she came home from school crying one day. It was Todd who trained her, taught her how to fight, and turned her into the deadly fighter she was. Even when she graduated from the academy he was there for her, taking her into his unit to give her the experience and skill she needed.

When Todd was shot down over Fichina four years ago against Venom rebels she was devastated more than anyone, particularly because she was there when it happened. She still had nightmares of that day watching Todd's fighter fall to the planet. Once the dogfight was over she was the first one to search for him and didn't give up for months, even after the search was called off. Since then anger had been her constant companion, and every Venom rebel she crossed felt her wrath. After so much time even she had given up hope of ever hugging Todd again.

Looking at the stars Daria remembered the moment Cara told her that Todd was still alive and that Felicity was his daughter. Even she didn't want to believe it but there was something about Cara that made her trust that her brother was still alive. Even the slightest hope brought joy to the point where she just wanted to jump and scream. Since then she's hardly left Cara and Felicity's side asking nonstop questions. If it wasn't for them having to rest she'd still be beside them.

"Hm, maybe it's Cara that's got me all riled up and experiencing these old memories." Daria mumbled as she looked across the Lylat System, seeing Fichina in the distance appearing as a white dot. "I guess the potential of being reunited with Todd is doing things to my mind."

Daria smiled as she watched the planet slowly get bigger as they approached. To her it almost didn't seem real; the potential of having Todd back seemed too good to be true. She had lost hope for so long that she didn't want to jinx it. But, something deep down told her that she soon she'd be reunited with the man who was her protector, trainer, and father-figure. It took everything she had to remain calm as they got closer. So much excitement flooded her that every passing second seemed to pass slowly. Daria knew the moment she saw Todd again she'd explode with joy.

Daria laid a hand on the glass and smiled. "Hang on Todd, we're coming for you."

* * *

Great Fox, Fox's bedroom

"No Vixy, you can't come with us." Fox said as he put on his coat.

"But daddy I want to come with you." Vixy shouted as she bounced on Fox's bed.

"I said no, Vixy, it's too dangerous."

Fox sighed as he walked to his closest to look for his winter boots. Vixy was starting to get on his last good nerve with his constant begging. Since they arrived at the Fichina research facility barely an hour ago she'd been demanding and pleading nonstop to go with him and Daria to find Todd. It slightly surprised Fox how much she was pleading given she probably didn't even remember him, Vixy wasn't only a couple months old when Todd was shot down over Fichina. The only things she had to know of him were stories he and Daria told her and old videos.

As Vixy continued to plead Fox was well aware of the reason she was pestering him and not Fara. She knew he was the easier parent to manipulate by far. Fara was a stone wall when it came to Vixy's pleading; she never gave in even with her hardest attempts. Fox on the other hand was a softie when it came to given Vixy what she wanted. Most of the time she'd just have to give him her begging look and he'd obey. Lately, he'd gotten better resisting and became a sterner parent, though he still gave in on the little things.

"But daddy, I want to come with you and aunt Daria to rescue Uncle Todd." Vixy shouted as Fox found his winter boots, giving him the infamous puppy eye display.

Vixy turned her pleading trick on Fox to full blast, actually making herself tear up a little, she had a unique talent of making herself tear easily on cue. Even Fox, who had seen it many times, still found it hard to resist. Vixy knew how to plead to get her way, it took a strong or cold heart individual to resist. In most cases he would've caved in but that time it wouldn't work. Fichina was too dangerous for a kit in the best places, since they were headed to the South Pole that danger was exponentially heightened. He had no choice but to turn her down who that gave him the iron will to resist.

"Fox, you'd better say no." A stern female voice behind Fox exclaimed before he could give Vixy his response.

Fox nearly jumped at the suddenness and stern nature of the voice. He spun around to see Fara standing in the doorway wearing a thick winter coat. Her arms were crossed and she gave him a glare that would've scared nearly anyone. Thankfully, he knew Fara well enough to know the look was just for show. But he also knew she was partially being serious, clearly wanting to see if he has the stones to resist Vixy's infamous pleading.

"I was going to say no Fara." Fox said as he smiled at Fara.

"Yeah, sure you were. I had to make sure for myself that you didn't give into Vixy's cuteness. Even the strongest men find that a near impossible feat."

"Don't worry, I know when to say no and stand firm with Vixy." Fox replied then turned to Vixy. "Sorry hun, it's too dangerous where we're going for you to come. But, if you promise to stay here and be a good girl I'll take you for an Arwing ride later."

Vixy squealed as she jumped on the bed. "Really, you'll take me for an Arwing ride?"

"Of course, but you to obey whoever looks after you while we're gone."

"Okay daddy, I promise I'll behave."

Fox smiled as he patted Vixy on the head and messed with her hair. "That's my little girl."

Fara smirked softly from her position in the door way. "Good move foxie boy."

"Hey, I'm smarter than I look." Fox replied only to get a laugh from Fara and Vixy. "So, Fara, who'd you get to watch over Vixy?"

"I got Slippy and Fay to agree to watch over Vixy . . . and Felicity. Torygg agreed to help them though they were all reluctant about it."

"Really, I thought that after Vixy dropped the book case on her that Fay would never agree to watch her again?" Fox exclaimed.

Fara let out a quiet smirk so Vixy wouldn't hear it. "Yeah, that surprised me to; I guess she just likes Vixy, despite all her troublesome ways."

"Hard not to, she's too cute to not like. But, how did you get Torygg to agree? He and Diana are the last two people aboard that I figured you'd want looking after Vixy."

"Hey, I'm right here." Vixy shouted getting the adults' attention. "I happen to like Torygg and especially Diana. They're both so fun to hang around and Diana has the best stories while Torygg has been teaching me some wrestling techniques."

Fara turned to Fox and gave him a sarcastically stern glare. "Oh really, wrestling techniques."

Fox rubbed the back of his uncomfortably as he tried to think of an answer. "Uh, yeah, she walked in on him training and managed to convince him to teach her a little. I agreed but only under my supervision."

"Hm, I know I've said this already but that's surprisingly smart of you." Fara said with a straight face though Fox knew she was being sarcastic.

"Oh ha ha, very funny. But seriously, how did you get Torygg to agree to watch Vixy?"

"Uh, he was there when I asked Fay and Slippy and just stated he'd like to help. It caught me a bit off guard but not by much. Though I was surprised they agreed since they had already agreed to watch over Felicity as well, I can only imagine what kind of trouble the two of them will get into together."

Fox shuddered at the thought at Vixy and Felicity getting into trouble together. "Hm, yeah that is surprising of him, if anything I figured Diana would be the one to agree. She's already taken a shine to Vixy, though introducing Felicity as well may have problems."

"That's what Vixy told me, but I couldn't find her to get an answer. But they already like Felicity, at least Torygg does, guess he likes her feral personality."

"Huh, she's usually pretty easy to find. I can't say anything about Felicity, only met her recently." Fox said with a shrug. "Oh, have you heard anything from Lucy yet?"

"Yes, she sent a message saying she'll be by in a few minutes so hurry up and get ready." Fara answered then turned to Vixy. "Come on Vixy; let's go find Fay, Torygg, or Slippy."

Fox remained seated as he watched Vixy obey Fara and follow her out of the room. It never ceased to amaze him how obedient Vixy was with Fara when most of the time neither would listen to him. At least Vixy listened enough to behave while Fara did it mostly because she knew it drove him crazy. He was just glad that for a while someone else would be looking after Vixy, even though after what happened while he was Sauria that person was probably nervous about watching her.

 _Fay's probably going to hate us after making her watch Vixy again._ Fox thought as he exited his room and closed the door behind him. _I wonder what kind of favor she'll ask me to do to make up for this._

* * *

Great Fox Hangar

"Good morning Fox." Krystal shouted as Fox entered the hangar.

Fox stopped at the hangar entranced, shocked to see how many people were standing there waiting for him. Much to his surprise, Krystal was there with Cara, Diana, Miyu, and Daria talking till he arrived. He only expected Daria and Cara to be there, possibly Fara since she was coming, but not to see Krystal Fay, and Diana, waiting for him as well. Seeing them all dressed in heavy winter gear, except for Daria being half arctic fox who still wore winter clothes but not as much as the others, was a good clue they were planning on going with him.

"Good morning, Krystal . . . Diana, and little sister." Fox shouted back as he approached the others. "What's everyone doing here?"

Daria glared at Fox with a half-smile. "Hm, we're all dressed in winter gear so I think it's obvious what's going on. Even you should be able to figure it out."

Krystal, Cara, Miyu laughed at Daria's reply while Diana just smirked. Fox just rolled his eyes, he knew better than to reply to Daria's comment, she'd just retort with something worse. Instead, he just decided to ignore it and continue talking to the others. Fox was at least glad Daria seemed happy, she'd been in a worried state ever since Cara arrived and told them that Todd was still alive. Maybe being so close to reuniting with Todd was making her happy.

Fox looked around at the others half smiling. "So, all of you are going down there to find my brother?"

Krystal shrugged. "Of course, you saved me on Sauria, it's the least I can do to pay you back."

Cara turned to Krystal looking confused. "What, Fox saved you on the forbidden planet?"

"Yeah, it's a long story, I'll tell you about it someday . . . after we find Todd."

Fox shook his head as he turned to Diana while Krystal and Cara talked. "Diana, I'm surprised to see you coming along. I thought that reptiles hated the cold."

Fox fought back a smirk as he looked at Diana covered in more winter gear than the others combined, even more than he saw Fara wearing earlier. Since she was a reptile, being cold blooded, it didn't surprise him to see her dressed in what he guessed was at least five layers of clothing. She had so many layers on that she seemed to have trouble walking to the point where Fox found it hard not to smirk. It was even more surprising that she wanted to go down to Fichina with him and the others to help them find Todd. Fichina was a nightmare environment for all but the most winterized mammals, and that was in its warmest locations, since they were going to South Pole it'd be significantly worse. That's why Diana was the last person he expected to see coming along.

Diana smiled as she looked down at Fox. "We do, it's a common hatred pretty much all reptiles share. But, considering everything you're doing for me and my brother I figured it couldn't hurt to go with you to find your brother."

"Even though you may freeze to death down there?"

"I'm wearing enough clothing I should be fine."

Fox smirked. "I wouldn't say that, you're wearing so much clothing you can barely walk, let alone carry your weapons, which with Andross down there, if what Cara said is true, you're going to need."

"Hey, we Sharpscale are trained to handle any situation, even weighed down. When the inevitable battle comes I'll mow down any Venomian in my path."

"Yeah, till they push you over and roll down a hill like a snow ball." Miyu said with a smirk only to get a glare from Fox and Diana. "Uh, my bad, just pretend I didn't say anything."

"I already forgotten." Fox replied shook his head and looked back to Diana. "So, your brother is not coming with us?"

Diana sighed. "No, I tried talking him into going but he said he didn't want to come unless Andross was confirmed to be there. He didn't want to suffer from the cold unless he had to."

"Huh, I'd almost say you got bigger balls than he does."

"Ha, very funny Fox. I'm just happy to kill Venomians for now, and fighting beside you."

Fox almost didn't notice the gleam in Diana's eyes at the last part of her statement. Her tone seemed almost flirty to him, and the look she gave him appeared to confirm him. He could've sworn he saw her blush but quickly pushed the thought aside as nothing more than his eyes playing tricks on him. Flirting went against what he had seen of her character so far. Besides, the last thing he needed was another woman possibly trying to get his attention.

"Well, then I'm more than happy to have you by my side." Fox replied getting a smile from Diana, then he turned to Miyu. "I know why you're here."

Miyu nearly froze on the spot as both Fox and Miyu looked at her. "Uh, you do?"

"Of course, everyone knows that you and Todd used to date before he graduated and joined the military. Even though you two broke up it's obvious you want to see him again, despite him being with Cara."

"Really, do you think of me as that shallow?"

No, just saying I know you still have feelings for him, that's all."

Before Miyu could reply the hangar door opened causing everyone to turn towards it. Fara entered the hangar carrying a datapad and appearing to look through the records on it. She hardly looked up as she walked towards the group only to stop near them.

"Huh, looks like everyone's here." Fara called out looking at the group the group.

"Everyone's here, you knew who was coming?" Fox asked a little confused.

"Of course, I asked everyone before we arrived who was going. I was pretty surprised by how many wanted to go." Fox answered than turned to Diana. "Looks like you managed to find every warm piece of clothing on the ship."

"You're one to talk Fara." Diana sarcastically replied back. "Cold doesn't like either of us."

Fox couldn't help but smirk though it was louder than he had planned as everyone heard him. He quickly found everyone glaring at him, though none of them were angry. Daria and Miyu were clearly quietly smirking behind everyone else, even Krystal had a funny smile on, appearing to hide a laugh. Much to his Fara and Diana were both smiling but only a little to hide it from him. Fara's was unnoticeable, she was a master at hiding her emotions, but Diana wasn't hiding it at all.

"Uh, I was just laughing at the obviousness of the truth." Fox said as casually as he could. "I mean, you're both not suited for cold weather. Fara, you're a desert fox so cold is obviously your weakness. Diana, you're a reptile so it's pretty clear you're not suited for the cold."

Krystal patted Fox on the shoulder, getting him to look at her. "Fox, you should probably stop talking, you're digging yourself deeper with each word."

"That's because he doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut." Daria exclaimed getting a laugh from everyone except Fox.

"Neither do you." Fox softly growled back at Daria. "It's one thing that apparently we have in common."

"Ha, truer words have never been spoken." Fara shouted getting a chuckle from everyone."

Fox shook his head. "What is this, gang up on Fox day."

Before anyone could reply a ringing tone got Fox's, and everyone else's, attention causing him to turn towards the hangar exit, which was open but had the phase shield activated so people to enter and leave. He saw Lucy entering the hangar wearing a thick coat and having the same unemotional look she always had. Fox had known her for as long as he could remember and she almost always had the same expression. All eyes turned to her as she approached them carrying a datapad larger than Fara's, but she wasn't going through it. Once Lucy got closer her expression changed slightly as a smile appeared on her face. She had hardly changed since the last time he saw her, except possibly losing a few pounds.

"Fox, it's been a long time." Lucy said with a slight smile.

"Too long Lucy." Fox replied as he hugged Lucy. "How have you been?"

"Fine but boring, there's nothing to do around here but research. I can't wait to get off this planet."

"It's definitely not the first time I've heard that. Just about every researcher I've talked to who's been to Fichina has said that." Fara responded then made her way to Lucy. "Nice to see that you're doing good after the avalanche incident."

"Avalanche incident?" Fox asked.

"It's a long story and things weren't as bad we originally thought." Lucy replied as she quickly hugged Fara. "I know you're doing well, you always are."

"Well things could be going a little better lately." Fara said glancing so quickly at Krystal that Fox barely had time to notice but didn't say a word.

Fox stepped back after seeing the quick glare Fara gave Krystal, a little surprised she would be so obvious in her resent, even if it wasn't for a moment. It was almost against Fara's character, at least that Fox knew of, for her to harbor any anger towards anyone, she was so quick to forgive and rarely ever held onto her rage. Sure she had some jealously in the past when women flirted with Fox, especially after the Lylat Wars when he became something of a celebrity and tons of women attempted flirting with him, but it wasn't anything serious. Krystal seemed to bring out something in Fara that even he was unsure of. He couldn't help but be nervous about it, having a feeling that things were either going blow over or get significantly worse between those two.

As Fox tried to figure out what was wrong between Fara and Krystal he watched Lucy make the rounds of introductions with everyone. With Miyu it was like meeting an old friend as they embraced each other heavily. But it was nothing compared to Daria who wrapped her in a hug and for a few moments refused to let go. Fox fought back a laugh as Daria held her tight, Lucy didn't seem to be enjoying it but embraced it knowing she had no choice. Lucy was introduced to Diana next and from what Fox say it was awkward to say the least. Lucy, looking like an ant compared to Diana, seemed to be terrified of her who only smiled and shook her hand. Though Diana was being friendly Lucy certainly didn't seem to trust her, Fox didn't blame her after what happened during the Lylat Wars. Lucy quickly changed expressions once she met Krystal who quite happily embraced her. Fox could tell that those two were going to get along well immediately by how well they talked to each other, seeming to hit it off immediately. The final person Lucy was introduced was Cara who seemed to be the most casual introduction. It was much of an introduction as they knew each other from their research experiments they worked on in the past. It was more of a friendly catching up than anything, with Lucy asking Cara a lot of questions about the South Pole and Andross. Though it was nice having the introductions go around Fox eventually found himself getting a little impatient, knowing that Todd was sitting on Fichina waiting for them.

"So, Lucy, you've been here for a while, what do you think the possibility is that we'll find Todd?" Daria asked once the introductions were finished.

"Well, since you said on the South Pole I'd say that the statistics aren't very good at all. But, since Cara and Felicity got out of there, if what she said is true, then statistics be damned."

"Hey, I'm right here." Cara shouted.

"Oh, sorry about that, but I'm just speaking the truth. Seeing you here shows that it is possible though if Andross is there than it doesn't look good." Lucy stated.

"I know Todd and what he's capable of. When he makes a promise he keeps it. So I imagine he's probably sitting by fire waiting for us to return."

Daria nodded as she patted Cara on the shoulder. "Amen to that, Todd is no doubt fine just enjoying his time."

"Knowing my brother I'd say he's doing anything but sitting around enjoying himself." Fox shook his head as he turned to Lucy. "So, is there anything we need to know, any new observations on the South Pole."

"I did notice something peculiar yesterday coming from the South Pole." Lucy said, getting everyone's immediate attention.

"Uh, what do you mean by peculiar?"

"Well, long story short, I was monitoring the broadcast station when our satellite picked up a weak but strange signal. At first I thought it was one of our research teams, we go a lot of them roaming around the continent, but some digging quickly disproved that. It took a while but I managed to determine the signal came from the South Pole."

"Wait, the south pole, are you sure?" Daria blurted out.

Lucy nodded. "Yes, there is no doubt in my mind the signal came from the South Pole. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a message embedded in the signal but it requires a code to decipher that we don't have."

"Hm, if what Cara said is true than I don't think it means anything good." Miyu exclaimed looking at Cara. "You and Todd didn't have anything that could put out a signal right?"

"Of course not, my transmitter was destroyed on impact while Todd's was knocked out before he even crashed on the ground. If we had a way to signal we would've done it a LONG time ago. Also, we wouldn't have sent out a code message in our signal"

"Hm, I suppose you got a point there. That doesn't leave a lot of other options who it could be."

"There's very few people capable of putting out a signal like that." Lucy stated, then paused for a moment. "The last time anyone detected a signal like that was during the Lylat Wars, during Corneria's assault on the Venom facility on Macbeth in the early days of the war."

Everyone remained silent as the thought of what Cara told them about Venom and Andross being on the South Pole seemed to be coming true. Even Fox had his doubts about everything Cara said about Andross and Venom, the only ones who really didn't doubt was Daria and Krystal. The thought of Andross still being alive, let alone on the Fichina South Pole, seemed like an impossibility. Hearing Lucy explain the signal all be confirmed it for him and seemingly for everyone else. It was a truly horrifying thought of what they were possibility walking into but at the same time it excited Fox.

"So, you're thinking it could be the Venom base putting out a signal?" Daria asked.

Lucy shrugged. "It could be, we won't know for certain will we get down there. If it is Venom than we'll need to be cautious."

"That's always the case when Venom is involved." Diana added.

"Makes me concerned for what really is going on down there." Miyu stated.

"Whatever is going on down there we need to hurry for Todd's sake." Cara nearly shouted. "We can worry about Venom after we find him."

Daria stepped forward. "Then what are we waiting for, let's get down there and bring Todd home."

"And send Andross to Hell." Diana added getting a cheer from everyone.

* * *

South Pole

"Holy crap it's freezing out here!" Diana shouted as she waded her way through the snow behind Fox and Cara.

Fox looked over his shoulder to see Diana wrapping her arms around her body and shivering. Somehow, despite wearing at least five thick winter clothing layers, she was still freezing. He knew that reptiles were cold blooded but never imagined, even with her being as warmly dressed as she was, that she'd be that cold. Then again, they were on the coldest recorded place in the Lylat System, even he was getting cold and he had the second thickest fur out of everyone in the group, only Daria's was thicker.

"I never imagined you as a complainer, Diana." Miyu shouted over the wind from behind Diana.

Diana turned and growled at Miyu. "You try being a cold weathered animal wading through the ass crack of a frozen wasteland."

"Okay, sorry, I meant that as a joke."

"Then next time either say it's a joke or trying to say it in a sarcastic manner."

"Kind of hard to in this wind, I can barely hear myself think." Miyu shouted back.

Fox shook his head as she continued to follow Cara while Miyu and Diana bickered back and forth. He was just glad Miyu had stopped bothering Cara with constant questions about Todd, it was starting to get a little uncomfortable for everyone, especially when she started asking the uncomfortable mating questions. Fortunately, Fara, Daria, and Krystal seemed to be getting along for the most part. Daria and Krystal talked to themselves mostly, with Krystal asking lots of combat related questions. Fox was glad to see them getting along at least, Daria seemed to find a new friend, something she seemed to have trouble doing, at least finding a friend that wasn't trying to bed her. Lucy remained the inquisitive girl she's always been, asking question after question to Cara as she led them. It reminded Fox of the old days when they were kids and Lucy questioned everything around them, it was nice to see she still had her sense of curiosity. Fara was the only one who remained truly quiet on the journey, only making the occasional question to Cara, Lucy, or Fox, at least one to Diana. It only confirmed to Fox that she was feeling some tension towards Krystal though he didn't say anything about it, wondering around the South Pole, with others around, was not the right time to ask those kind of questions.

It had been quite a trek ever since they had landed the their transport shuttle what felt like forever ago. After a quick briefing with Lucy, everyone gathered aboard the research facility's best shuttle and headed to the best location Cara pointed out where they could land without drawing Venom attention. Turned out that location was a pretty significant distance from what Cara said was her and Todd's den. No one, not even Daria, was happy hearing that news but all followed her anyway. Didn't help that a snow storm was blowing through the area making the journey even more miserable and slower than it would've been. Fox was starting to get a little frustrated with the lack of success they seemed to be making.

"Are you sure this is the way, Cara?" Fox asked as he stopped beside her. "We've been walking for over an hour."

"Of course I'm sure, if anyone could survive out here it's Todd. Heck, he probably already knows we're here."

"If he knows we're here than why hasn't he shown himself yet? On top of that, how would he know we're here?" Diana asked.

"Well, we're not exactly being silent and we're sticking out like a sore thumb down here. Todd knows this spot well so finding us shouldn't be a problem for him." Cara responded. "But this storm is probably making his approach as hard for him as it is for us. There's only so fast we can move in a storm like this. He also has to avoid Venom patrols in the area so that's probably slowing him down as well."

Fox was about to reply when suddenly he heard a strange cracking sound coming from beneath him. Just as he looked down to see the cracks forming beneath his feet the ground broke and he found himself and the others falling. It happened so quickly that Fox had no time to prepare or embrace as he landed hard with a thud with the others, almost blacking out.

"Ow, what the hell was that?" Fox groaned as he felt two large and soft substances on both sides of his head.

The two mounds were surprisingly soft but somehow quite firm as they pressed against his face. For some reason he found himself getting aroused even though he didn't know what they were. He grabbed them firmly and pushed off freeing his face from their clutches, finding them to be quite squishy. It wasn't till his face was free that he realized what he was grabbing and immediately become horrified. Looking down he saw that the mounds were the two massive breasts that belonged to none other than his reptilian teammate Diana, and his hands were still firmly gripping them.

 _Oh hell, Diana is going to kill me. If she doesn't kill Fara certainly will._ Fox thought as he pulled his head out of Diana's cleavage.

Fox nervously looked up at Diana's face hoping she was bearing her teeth at him. After what felt like an eternity his eyes met Diana's to see her glaring down at him. Much to his surprise she didn't look furious, maybe a little angry, but instead looked more stunned than anything. She looked just as shocked as him, maybe a little aroused which was last expressions he thought he'd ever see from her. If Fox didn't know any better he could swear Diana was almost smiling.

"Uh, let's pretend that didn't happen." Fox said as softly as he could to Diana who only nodded back.

Quickly looking around to make sure no one saw it he rolled off of Diana, despite his mind still flooded with thoughts of how surprising soft Diana's massive boobs were. He pushed the thoughts of his mind, knowing there was a telepath nearby along with his ex-wife, both would probably kill him if they found out. Once the dirty thoughts were out of his mind he focused on the others, looking around to make sure as they were safe. He saw everyone lying in a pile all mixed together, with him somehow on top and Miyu on the bottom. The others were starting to slowly get up and untangled, thankfully no one appeared to be hurt, at least not severely. The only thing that appeared to be hurt was everyone so close to each other. After making sure everyone was fine he looked around them to see that they had fallen into a deep hole that didn't appear to be naturally made and large enough to hold them all.

"Cara, what is this?" Miyu called out from underneath Daria. "I thought you knew where things like this were."

"This was not placed by me or Todd. We made sure to mentally mark where all the holes were." Cara shouted back as she stood up. "Besides, this was hand dug, not by Todd or me."

"Hand dug, who the heck would do . . . whatever the heck this is?" Fara asked as she looked around them.

"It's a damn trap is what it is!" A reptilian voice shouted from above them.

Fox and everyone else looked up to see a group of five lizards standing at the edge of the hole smiling down at them. All of them were well armed, either carrying plasma assault rifles or laser machine guns and wearing thick winter clothes. Fox could make out a Venom military symbol on their jackets making it obvious who they worked for. The lizards pointed their weapons down at them and all had a twisted smile.

"We dug this trap to catch the infamous white ghost. We never imagined it catch us a prize this big." The lead lizard laughed.

"Big prize, what the hell are you talking about?" Fox shouted up at the lizards.

"Why, capturing the leader of Star Fox and the daughter of the founder of Space Dynamics. All these others are just little prizes."

One of the leader's subordinates spoke up glaring at Diana. "Uh boss, one of them is a Sharpscale, we can get some good enjoyment out of her, and the men need a punching bag."

Fox heard Diana growl and turned to see her bearing her teeth at the Venomians. It surprised him to not see her pulling up her weapon to try to gun them down, instead she just stood there growling at them. She seemed to see futility of such an action, doing so would almost certainly get them all killed as the Venomians held the high ground and already had their weapons aimed at them. If there was a fire fight it'd be over in a couple seconds and not in Star Fox's favor. At the moment their only option was the let the situation play out and hope it worked out in their favor.

The Venomian leader smiled down at Fox, only glancing at the others beside him. "We'll see what the commander says about that, there's a lot of female potential in this group. But our glorious leader, the mighty Andross, will want Fox and Fara. He'll probably give us a big reward for bringing them to him."

"Wait, Andross is actually alive and here?" Lucy blurted out.

"Of course, but in a way you cannot imagine. It hardly matters now that . . ." The Venomian leader shouted only to spot mid-sentence with a pained look on his face.

The Venomian leader suddenly fell forward into the hole landing in front of Fox and the others with a loud thud. Everyone jumped back upon seeing a hatchet buried into the middle of his back. Didn't take much to figure out he was dead.

"What the . . ." Fox began saying only to be interrupted by another pain scream coming from above them.

He looked up in time to see another Venomian collapse from an unseen blow followed immediately by a second. The remaining two turned towards their fallen comrades but appeared to be too shocked to do anything. They disappeared from view leaving Fox and the others in the dark as to what was happening. It didn't take long for them to hear the sound of another dying grunt followed by the final one a second later and the sight of the Venomian falling backwards with his head and arms hanging over the edge. No sound came after that for several moments, leaving the others to only guess what was going on.

"What the hell just happened?" Lucy shouted as she stood up.

"Uh, obviously someone just slaughtered the Venomians without firing a shot." Diana replied. "I'm jealous."

"That makes two of us." Daria added with a smirk.

Looking up at the edge of the trap Fox saw a hooded, white dressed figure appear as if out of nowhere. The figure wore a thick, white fur coat that and carried some kind of ax and machete. The way the figure looked down at them seemed opposing but also somehow friendly and familiar. It wasn't till the figure pulled back the hood that Fox's expression changed from shock to wonder once he saw who it was. His mouth tried to mouth the words but nothing came out and his body wouldn't move as excitement overtook him.

"TODD!" Daria screamed before anyone else could.

Daria sprinted towards Todd, running up the steep slope as if it was nothing. In a flash she was nearly at the top when Todd reached down and offered her his hand. She grabbed a hold and he effortlessly pulled her up to the edge where she immediately pounced on him, knocking them both to the ground. Though Fox couldn't see them he knew that Daria was crying, he could hear her. In the meantime he began making his way up to the edge as quickly as he could with Cara close behind him.

Todd wrapped his arms around Daria and hugged her back. "It's great to see you again little fuzzball."

Fox could see Daria crying like a little baby as Todd cradled her. She seemed unable to let go and he didn't blame her one bit. Even though he had suspicions she would react like that when she saw Todd it was something different actually seeing was completely different. It nearly broke him to see it, making him shed a few tears.

"Brother, never leave me again." Daria mumbled as best she could.

Todd smiled as he patted Daria on the head. "I never will fuzzball, you have my word."

Fox didn't even try to fight back the tears as he watched Daria and Todd. Looking back he could see the others experiencing the same tearful joy he was, even Diana appeared to be fighting back tears. But as much as he wanted to watch he couldn't stay back, not when his long lost brother was so close after so long. After waiting for Daria to stop squeezing the life out of Todd's neck he finally approached them. Todd looked up from Daria to see him approaching and let go of her as he turned to Fox.

"Brother, I . . . I never thought I'd see you again." Fox stuttered as a tear rolled down his face.

Todd laid a hand on Fox's shoulder while keeping his other around Daria. "Don't hold back the tears brother. I knew this day was coming and even I'm an emotional wreck."

Fox looked up at Todd to see his eyes full of tears just like his and Daria's. He'd never seen Todd so emotional in all his life, making it hard for him to believe. It's what finally pushed Fox over the edge, causing him to lunge at Fox and hug him tightly just as Daria did. No words were said for none were needed as the two brothers and sister were finally reunited after so long. Even Daria joined in after a moment making it a three way hug.

Fox didn't know how long he was hugging Todd but he guessed it must've been long enough for the others to get awkward. Eventually he felt Todd separate from him and Daria. He looked up to see Cara standing behind Todd poking Todd in the shoulder. Even though Fox wanted to keep hugging Todd he knew that Cara needed her turn with her mate. Fox and Daria reluctantly let go of Todd who turned around and faced Cara who glared up at Todd with as much of a straightforward composure as she could muster.

Todd grabbed Cara and pulled her close to him. "See, I told you it would work."

"Yes, you did, now shut up and kiss me. You owe me a lot for all this heartbreak."

Todd chuckled as he lightly touched Cara's cheek. "I intend to make up for every second."

Todd held Cara's cheek and leaned in for a kiss, pressing his lips against hers, in front of everyone. Cara barely moved other than wrapping her arms around Todd's neck, holding him against her, making the kiss more passionate. Neither of them held back but remained surprisingly quietly. He didn't blame them for being so passionate, they'd be separated under dangerous circumstances with the possibility of death, so they had a lot to make up for. Clearly, they were doing their best to make up for it right there.

 _Man, I could learn a thing or two from him._ Fox thought as he watched his brother continue to make out with Cara.

After nearly a minute Todd and Cara finally separated but still looked at each other with longing eyes. Fox got the impression that if the others weren't around they'd mate right there. At least they were slightly considerate enough to not do the dirty deed and to stop making out before things got TOO awkward.

Cara leaned in close to Todd and whispered. "I think we should probably stop, the others seem to be getting jealous."

"Fine, we can continue this later." Todd replied with a playful pout then turned to the others. "So, is there anything I missed?"

"Yeah, me arranging this whole thing." Fara spoke up, getting Todd to look at her.

Todd smiled as he looked at Fara as she approached him. "Fara, it's good to see you again."

"Same here, it's been a long time. I'll admit I didn't think you were still alive, but obviously I'm glad you are. You're one tough SOB to kill."

"I could've told you that." Dara spoke up. "Why do you think I never gave up on him being alive?"

"You are right about that, Daria." Fara shrugged than turned back to Todd. "I hope you realize how much trouble this was getting you out of here. But, since you're family, and I like you as a brother in-law, you don't owe me for this."

"Yes I do, wouldn't feel right if I didn't owe you. I'll think of some way to pay you back for this."

Fara shook her head. "If you say so, though getting Andross would be a huge step in the right direction."

"Oh don't worry, we'll definitely get a chance at that."

Fox smiled to himself knowing that Todd was true to his word. IF Andross was there as Cara said than he and Todd would do whatever it takes to bring him down. Seeing Fara giggle at Todd's response was enough to make him smile to. Though it wasn't over as Fox saw Miyu making her way to Todd from behind him.

Miyu stepped up behind Todd and tapped him on the shoulder. "Don't I get a hug too?"

Todd turned around and a big smile formed as he looked at Miyu. "Of course, it's been a LONG time Miyu."

Todd and Miyu embraced each other for perhaps the first time since they broke up almost a decade ago. Fox watched with a heartfelt smile as the two former lovers hugged. It kind of surprised him to see their embrace be so calm considering now Miyu often talked about her time dating Todd, if he didn't know better he'd say that she still has feelings for him the way she speaks of him. He thought that Miyu would pounce on Todd, instead he would say their hug was almost casual. It possibly had to do with Miyu respecting Todd's relationship with his mate Cara. Still, their hug lasted quite a while before they separated.

Todd separated from Miyu but to Fox looked a little uncomfortable. "It's good to see Miyu, I'm guessing there's a lot you and I have to catch up on."

"That's probably a major understatement." Miyu replied, looking just as uncomfortable as Todd. "But that will come later, hopefully, news really not the best time to discuss such things."

Fox couldn't help but chuckle to himself, he'd never seen Todd so uncomfortable. Apparently, being around his former lover while his current mate and mother of his child stood nearby put a lot of stress on the guy. It was almost funny to watch, but he kept it to himself. There was a cut in the tension as Todd and Miyu separated and Todd made his way to Lucy who so far had hardly said a word, only observed the situation.

"Lucy, I'm surprised to see you here." Todd said as he smiled down at Lucy. "I didn't think that Fox would be able to convince you to join him on . . . well, anything."

Lucy crossed her arms and glared at Todd. "Is this because I prefer to be behind a desk teaching or reaching over in a cockpit shooting bad guys out of the sky?"

"Pretty much, though I didn't mean it as an insult. You do what makes you happy."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what you always said." Lucy shook her head. "And just so you know, I came along because I wanted to see the South Pole for myself, and to see if Andross is indeed here."

"Ah, so it wasn't to find your long lost friend?" Todd replied with a sarcastic smile.

"Meh, that's a minor priority." Lucy responded as seriously as she could, even though Fox knew she was messing around.

Todd smirked as he patted Lucy on the shoulder. "It's good to see you too cottontail."

"Same here fluff for brains."

Fox smirked and heard Fay, Miyu, and Fara do the same thing. As long as they had known Todd and Lucy the two of them had always been like that, playfully teasing at each other. Years ago Fox thought it was because they had a crush one each other but it didn't take him long to realize that definitely wasn't the case, they simply weren't right for each other. Still, it was quite comical to watch Todd and Lucy go at each other, even after all the years apart. At least their reunion was over quickly, their little bouts never lasted long.

Fox noticed Todd gaze over at something behind them and was about to speak up but his brother beat him to it. "So brother, who is the blue vixen?"

Fox turned and saw Krystal standing back with a slight smile. "Oh, sorry, where are my manners?" Fox waved at Krystal who approached Todd. "This is Krystal, a Cerinian and new member to the Star Fox team."

"Hm, I've never heard of Cerinia, but she is a beauty." Todd replied sarcastically, getting a playful arm punch from Cara.

Krystal giggled as she bowed her head to Todd. "Thanks, I've been told that quite a bit. It's nice to meet you Todd, you're every bit the legend Daria said you'd be."

"I wouldn't say go that far, still nice to hear it coming from you. My brother sure is lucky to be dating you."

An eerie silence filled the room as all eyes went to Todd who looked around confused. Fox saw Daria bending over holding in a laugh, she might as well be rolling around in the snow laughing her ass off. Miyu was doing the same thing but remained far more composed than Daria. However, that was nothing compared to Fara who glared daggers at Todd and occasionally at him but they were far deadlier. Krystal remained stoic though he could tell that she was fighting back a laugh as well. Even Diana, who was normally calm, seemed to be having a hard time keeping it together.

"What, was it something I said? I thought that Fox was single, didn't he and Fara break up." Todd asked, looking back and forth between Fox and Cara.

Fox nearly broke a laugh hearing Todd's statement. He almost forgot that at the time Todd was shock down at the time they were getting divorced, or were at least considering it. For all he knew Fox could be dating Krystal. Todd had no idea of his relationship with Fara and the delicate balance he shared with Krystal.

Cara lightly gripped Todd's shoulder. "Uh, I'll explain later, you're throwing gasoline on a dangerous fire."

Todd shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, sorry if I made it awkward."

"Oh, you have no idea brother." Daria responded between laughing.

Fox let out a sigh of relief, despite knowing he was going to get a lecture from Fara later, and most likely an eventually conversation with Krystal. He wasn't looking forward to either, knowing the chances of either conversation going well was slim to none. The tension in the air hard quickly risen to the point where Fox felt he could cut it with a knife. The tension had to be changed before it got violent or suggestive. Fox looked around and saw Diana standing outside the group, realizing she hadn't been introduced yet, seeing it as his chance.

"Brother, there's one more person you need to meet." Fox said and pointed towards Diana. "This is Diana Sharpscale, she's a good friend that helped us during a major offensive against Venom recently."

Todd turned and looked at Diana and surprisingly smiled. "A Sharpscale, I'm shocked to see one of you in such a place, at least you're dressed warm. Still, it is an honor to meet a Sharpscale, and one who looks like a true warrior. I'm surprised my brother was able to get you on the team."

"And yet I'm still freezing." Diana replied as she's shivered but smiled. "Still, it means a lot coming from a McCloud. And technically I'm not on the team, legal issues, but still nice to be traveling with him."

"Hm, he's not causing you too much trouble is he?"

"Nah, he's pretty good . . . most of the time. It's fun fighting Venomians with him."

"I bet it is, if what I think is true there's no shortage of them to fight." Todd replied then turned serious as he looked around at everyone. "As much as I want to continue this reunion, it's not a good idea to do it in the open. Let's get to the cave before they send out another patrol."

To be continued.

* * *

So, just when things looked bad, the rescue party ended up being saved by the person they were trying to save. In the process a family has finally been reunited after so long apart. What does the future hold now that the McCloud family is whole?

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


	19. Return of Andross

Hello and welcome to another chapter of Star Fox Annihilation. I'm so glad y'all have stayed with this story for this long, it's great to have fans for so long. The last chapter got a lot of reviews, and apparently quite a few laughs. Hopefully I can keep it up.

I know I've gotten a lot of reviews lately of the OC characters seeming to outshine the Star Fox characters but there is a good reason for that. A big reason is because the story is still young, it's only around a 1/3 of the way done, and I'm trying to establish the OC characters early on. They're NOT more important than the Star Fox characters but I want to establish the OCs now so that later on in the story I can focus on the story and Star Fox characters without having to worry about explaining the OCs. So yes, this will be one of the last chapters revolving around the OCs for a while.

This will be the first chapter in a long time that has combat in it. Been a while since I've written combat so I hope I still got it. Hopefully some twists and turns and cool explosions but we'll see. Don't expect it to be all that much of a fight as realisticly, as I'm trying to write it, the way the combat goes in this chapter it's not much of a much given the odds. Still, hopefully it's good.

Something I've considered doing for this is, considering how long it'll be, is possibly splitting the story into three parts. I've been 50/50 on the subjects for a while, can't seem to determine whether to do it or not. I'm curious what the you readers think I should do, split it into 3 continuing stories or not. Please leave your answers in a review?

I do want to apologize in case this seems rushed, even though we're still in quarantine and I got plenty of time to write concentrating on my stories is difficult for me for some reason. So, I'm sorry for that in advance.

Hope you enjoy the chapter and please leave a review and follow the story.

* * *

Chapter 18: Return of Andross

"So, this is where you've been all this time?" Daria shouted as she entered the cave behind Todd.

Daria stayed close to Todd, having been by his side the entire time since he saved everyone's lives from the Venomians. She stuck to him like a shadow asking him question after question as they walked to his hide out, and she tried to catch him up on events that had happened since he'd been gone. Daria wasn't the only one sticking my him, Cara had her arm around Todd's and was onto holding him tightly as if she never wanted to let go of him. Miyu was close by as well on the opposite side of Cara but not close enough that it seemed awkward. Fox was following close behind occasionally throwing in a question or statement to remind the others that he was there. Fara, Lucy, Krystal, and Diana walked behind them barely saying a word other than Fara explaining things to Diana and Krystal. They were all glad to finally make it out of the cold and into the cave who's entrance was hidden behind a snowbank.

"Yeah, I spent some memorable nights in this cave with the love of my life and the little angel." Todd said as he smiled towards Cara lead the way into the middle of the cave.

Daria saw Miyu shake her head out of the corner of her eyes. She didn't need to be a telepath like Krystal to know that Miyu was extremely jealous of Cara, it was practically painted on her face the way she glared nonstop at the panther. What worried Daria was how much of her jealously Miyu was bottling up, it made her concerned that she would burst and so something drastic. She just hoped that Miyu would hold it in at least till after they took down Andross.

"I must say, I was expecting something a lot less crude when I thought of how you were living." Fara said.

The cave was much bigger than what even Daria could've predicted with the middle of the cave being a large open room. It reminded her of the old one room cabins their ancestors used to live in with fire pit in the middle of the room and a bedding area in the corner. It was a better living situation than even she imagined it'd be.

"It served its purpose for the time, got us through a lot of freezing nights." Todd replied as he wrapped his arm around Cara as everyone piled into the room. "But I'm more than happy to finally leave it behind."

"I bet you are, though I imagine going back to sleeping on a real bed will be difficult after sleeping on what you have here."

"It'll definitely be a difficult transition getting civilized again but I got some loving people to help to help me and my family through it."

Fox patted Todd on the shoulder. "Of course we will, we're family after all."

Todd was about to reply when Lucy, who'd been looking around at the cave finally spoke up, changing the tension in the room in the process. "Are you sure having a fire in a closed cave is a good idea, Todd? Wouldn't everyone inside suffocate?"

Todd pointed up to the cave ceiling to a hole directly over the fire. "That hole keeps us from dying from smoke inhalation. I would've been dead a LONG time ago if it wasn't for that."

"Really Lucy, after everything that's happened that's the first question to pop out of your mouth since we got here?" Daria exclaimed.

"I can't help it, you know my mind is more logical and question based than emotional. I'm just curious how Todd and Cara survived here for so long."

"And I'd be more than happy to tell, once we get down to business." Todd replied getting a smile from Lucy then made his way to the fire. "Right now, we have much more pressing matters to discuss."

Everyone gathered around the fire with Todd taking the main spot with Cara on his left and Daria seated nearby on his right. Miyu sat near Daria in what she suspected was to get as close to Todd as possible since two others blocked the spots next to him. Everyone else formed a circle around the fire as close to Todd as they could, particularly his family members. Though the initial shock of the reunion had worn off it was still felt in the room. Daria and a few others still wanted to pound him with questions, like they had done on the way to the cave, but at the moment no one was asking any. The serious look on Todd's face had changed the tone. Everyone saw it and it immediately changed the mood in the cave as Daria could see he had something serious to discuss, telling her the time of the reunion is on hold for the time being.

"So, I assume that Cara informed everyone a certain monkey who's turned up here?" Todd said once everyone was seated.

Fara nodded. "Oh yes, she was quite explicit on that, practically demanding us to come here and find you and defeat Andross. Normally, I'd dismiss someone who said they saw Andross but she was quite convincing."

"Hm, Cara is quite convincing, even better at getting what she wants than you."

Cara playfully punched Todd on the shoulder. "Hey, watch it big guy."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get too punchy." Todd replied with a smirk then looked at everyone else getting serious again. "So, now that everyone is aware that Andross is here . . . "

"That's the problem Todd." Lucy stated, interrupting Todd. "All we have on confirmation on Andross is you and Cara's word. Word of mouth is not confirmation."

"True, but that hardly matters now that we know Venom is here." Daria replied for Todd. "After that little trap incident we ran into we know that Venom is up to something out here and we cannot just ignore it. They need to be dealt with immediately whether Andross is here or not."

"Then, why don't we call General Pepper for backup and confirmation? That'll go a long way in getting us the intelligence we need."

"Because we don't have time for that." Todd answered in a stern voice. "I've been observing the facility ever since Cara and Felicity escaped and from what I've seen tension there is high to say the least, almost as if they're expecting some action against them. They're all prepped and ready to evacuate at the moment's notice. Once they find out their patrol is missing that'll be the last straw and we'll miss any opportunity. So time is of the essence right now."

"Hm, you got a point, Todd." Diana said with a serious expression. "Acting quickly is our best bet but we cannot just rush in when we don't know anything about them."

"Huh, you're one to talk." Krystal replied with a smirk. "How many times have you and Torygg rushed in on a Venom base."

"We've never just flat out rushed a base, we always scouted it out first and planned out our attacks before charging on, otherwise we'd been dead a long time ago."

"Wait, you and your brother charged Venom resistance bases all by yourselves?" Todd exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, on Macbeth we did it frequently, though there was the time we underestimated the target and nearly got overwhelmed but Daria's unit was there to help us."

Daria nearly lost it when she saw Todd's expression as he looked her way. "It's a long story, I'll tell you after we deal with the Venomians."

Todd smirked as he looked around at the others. "Thankfully, I got a plan for this, one of the good things about having all this down time."

"Hm, that's something scary for enemy, you with time to plan."

Todd chuckled as he picked up a stick and began drawing in the dirt. He drew a large rectangle first then filled in the rest with smaller squares, taking extra care to their shape and location. Four circles were placed around each of the corners, and other objects in specific locations within the large rectangle. Daria knew exactly what he was doing, but looking at Cara, Lucy, Krystal, and Diana she saw that they were confused. She didn't blame them, people who didn't serve with him would have no idea. No one said a word till Todd finished drawing, by then, to the untrained, it looked like the outline out of a drawing, nothing more.

"This is an outline of the Venom facility. Sorry I don't have a camera but this will have to do." Todd said looking up from his drawing. "The large rectangle is the fence surrounding the facility while each of these circles is a watch tower. These other squares are the buildings and security checkpoints."

"Huh, I thought you were just showing us your drawing skills." Miyu said with a smirk only to get a quick, playful slap to the back of the head from Daria.

Todd shook his head and ignored Miyu as he looked down at the map he'd just finished drawing. "They have a total of thirty armed guards, after I took out those five that were causing you trouble. Each guard post always has at least one guard, if not two at all times. There are three secure checkpoints each with a heavy machine gun that could shred through even Sharpscale armor. From my efforts there are only five Venom scientists and they never leave this building." Todd said pointing the stick at the building near the center. "I counted only three officers, two lieutenants and a captain, they roam the base making sure everything goes smoothly at almost random movements and times. However, there's a high ranking Venom officer who's been a Cornerian priority target for years, Colonel Flax."

Fox, Daria, Fara, and Diana all gasped at Todd mentioning Colonel Flax, the others just looked around at each other confusedly. Daria knew Colonel Flax as one of Venoms most ruthless officer during the Lylat Wars. He got quite a reputation for his brutality against his enemies, leaving no survivors, even civilians. That earned him quite a reputation among the Cornerian military with orders to kill him on sight. Daria could see Diana's fist clenching so tight she seemed to almost being drawing blood. It was well known that Colonel Flax was one of who led the effort to push the Sharpscales from Venom. Hearing that he was there made him almost a valuable target as Andross, particularly since the reward for his capture, or death was quite high.

"If he's here than this assault becomes a major priority, we cannot slip up." Daria said.

"As if Andross being here wasn't enough now we have the opportunity to put that other bastard in the grave." Diana replied with a growl. "Torygg will want a piece of him as well."

"And you'll both get it." Fox responded looking at Diana. "If we take out Colonel Flax you two can have the reward."

"What, why?"

"On Macbeth you said that you and your brother wanted to get into the mercenary business. To do so you need money and reputation. Taking out Colonel Flax will get you the reputation you need; work will come your way pretty quickly once word gets out. The bounty will get you the resources you need to be proper mercenaries."

"Hm, all I can think to say is thanks Fox. Just getting this opportunity is a big help for us, Torygg is going to be ecstatic when he finds out."

"Oh I bet he will be."

"Of course, anyone who gets the opportunity to go after Andross and Colonel Flax would be extremely happy. Though I do have a question about the suddenness of all this." Lucy responded getting the attention of everyone in the cave. "So, we're getting right into the action, no time to have a real reunion?"

"We kind of already had a reunion, sadly for the moment it's all we can afford for the time being as long as Andross is around. It's only a matter of time before they notice their men are missing, if they haven't already. That leaves us with very little time to have a reunion."

"I hate to say it but Todd is right." Cara said, getting surprised looks from everyone. "I know everyone is not expecting me to say this, I'm not a military person, but taking out Andross needs to be our top priority. We cannot allow him to escape."

Miyu nodded. "I agree with you, though I suspect you will not be taking part in the assault."

"Of course not, as I said I did not serve in the military and have no combat experience, I would be anything but a hindrance to you."

"So, what will you be doing while we're doing there risking our lives to take out that damn monkey?"

"Looking after the kids, someone has to."

Miyu smiled as she patted Cara on the back. "So you got the most dangerous job of all."

"Hey, Felicity isn't that bad."

"I wasn't referring to Felicity."

Daria couldn't help but chuckle, Miyu told her how Vixy dropped a bookcase on her and Fay the last they babysat. Cara didn't seem to find it funny as she still glared angrily at Miyu. It was the first time she'd seen Cara angrily glare at Miyu; it had often been the other way around, though Daria knew it was out of jealousy. At least Cara seemed to calm down once Miyu explained she wasn't talking about Felicity. No one else seemed to really want to get involved.

Todd hit the strike on the ground getting everyone's attention. "Now that we got the laughs out of our system how about we get back to planning the mission." Todd said with a straight face as he seemed to be able to muster than turned to Fox. "So brother, how many do you have with you? I'm assuming there are more aboard the Great Fox."

Fox thought it over in his head for a moment before replying. "Uh, all together there are ten of us. Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Fay, and Diana's brother Torygg are aboard the Great Fox waiting for us to communicate back to them. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I had to come up with multiple plans for assault since I didn't know what reinforcements Cara would bring back with her. Thankfully, what we got is a lot more than I suspected to come, so that'll make this a lot easier."

"How many were you expecting?" Fara asked.

"Honestly, I was expecting just Fox, Falco, Slippy, Falco, and you, maybe a small combat unit though I wasn't going to get my hopes up for that. Still, this is far better than I expected so I'm happy to have everyone here."

"Ah, so this exceeded your expectations?" Lucy asked.

Todd nodded. "Oh yes, with everyone here they shouldn't stand a chance. Though I got to ask, how quickly can you get back to the Great Fox?"

"Uh, it may be an hour or so trek back, why do you ask?" Fox answered.

"Because I'm going to need you, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Fay, Miyu, Fara, and Lucy, if she has a fighter, in the air for the plan to work. It's a simple bombing run to soften them up followed by a ground insertion."

"Hm, like we used to do in the old days." Daria spoke up getting a nod from Todd.

"Pretty much, as I said the facility has almost no air defenses, other than a single AA gun, which the Arwings can easily outmaneuver. Due to the facility's small size it'll be easy to cause max damage in a couple flyovers." Todd turned and looked at Fox. "All your team will have to do is keep bombing, hit every building you can, till I say to stop."

"Why would you order us to stop?" Miyu asked.

"Because me, Daria, Diana, and her brother will infiltrate to clean up any survivors, check for any vital intelligence, and confirm the deaths of Colonel Flax and Andross."

Daria heard Diana chuckle. "My brother and I will gladly fight beside you to put those bastards to a deep hole."

"You'll get the opportunity beside me, since the bombing run probably will not kill him."

"What makes you say that?" Fox responded.

"The building he's stayed in is heavily reinforced, pretty much the only one on the facility built to withstand bombing runs. Though you guys can soften it up it'll probably take us going in to get inside and kill them. To make it easier for us on the ground the bombing run is necessary, so don't worry about holding back."

"That we will definitely do brother."

"Good, that'll make this so much easier. Working together we should be able to pull this off VERY quickly." Todd stood up and looked around at everyone. "So, does that plan make sense to everyone?"

Daria nodded than looked from person to person seeing each other nod. No one seemed to have a question for Todd. On top of that everyone seemed to like his plan. It reminded Daria of the old days when he was her CO in their Tier1 days together before he was shot down. Everyone loved his plans back in those days; he'd rarely ever get a question as he explained everything so well. Even Diana seemed impressed though Daria thought it was because she'd be on the ground, giving her the possibility to be the one who put a hole in Andross' head.

"You've had a lot of time to plan this haven't you?" Daria asked with a slight smile.

"Of course, I've been planning this ever since I got Cara and Felicity off the planet. You know how good I am at planning."

"Planning missions, yes, there is no one better than you. Planning out anything else . . . uh, you need to practice."

Todd seemed to fight back a smirk. "Yeah, yeah, very funny Daria."

Cara patted Todd on the pat and whispered. "She's not wrong big guy."

Todd shook his head as the others except for Lucy who just shrugged and Diana who remained as stoic as she could, though Daria saw her crack her smile. Looking around the cave Daria could see that everyone, even Lucy surprisingly, appeared to be fired up. Andross had wronged each other in some way making everyone in the cave want a piece of him. Seeing it made Daria even more excited than she already was to the point she where she was having trouble containing herself to go after Andross.

Daria stood up, looking around at everyone with, with a big smile. "Then what are we waiting for, let's go put that monkey's ass in a deep hole?"

* * *

Snowy Hills near Venom Facility, Fichina

Diana knelt down in the snowbank, looking up quickly at what laid behind her hiding spot. Pulling out her binoculars she could spot a small facility with around a dozen or so buildings and a fence surrounding it. She could spot out a few guard towers just as Todd told her, as well as a few guard posts. There were only a dozen guards that she could see but she knew that there were more probably in the barracks or other buildings. She was slightly colder than shew as earlier wearing her full armor that Fara and Slippy had outfitted to work in the freezing conditions, but her desire for the upcoming fight made her hardly notice it.

 _Hm, this is going to be even easier than Todd said._ Diana thought as she adjusted her seated position.

Quickly looking over her shoulders Diana smiled at Todd, Daria, and Torygg positioned beside her. Todd seemed to be in his element with a laser assault rifle and planning the attack, she could only imagine what he'd be like in the middle of a firefight after seeing how skilled Daria was. Daria definitely seemed to be the same but even more so lying in the snow next to her brother before a battle. Diana had yet to see Diana with such a big smile. Torygg appeared to be even happier than them; the smile hadn't left his face since they arrived back at the Great Fox and told him that Andross was indeed there. She'd never seen him get ready for battle so quickly. Seeing him lying side her, Todd, and Daria in full armor and weaponry, his large shotgun and rocket launcher, ready for the order to charge the base made her proud. It almost seemed like a dream come true for her, to have the ape that caused them so much trouble so close to their guns. Torygg was even more anxious that she was, waiting for the others to arrive and bomb the base just made them even more so.

"So, this is the infamous Venom base, brother?" Diana whispered to Todd.

"Yeah, it's pretty quiet right now, slightly more so than usual."

"Is that good or bad?" Daria asked.

"Good, hopefully they're not expecting an attack. That'll make this so much easier." Todd replied with a slight smile. "Thanks to our numbers this should be pretty easy."

"From what I'm seeing they might as well have no defenses at all compared to what's coming their way. The others should be able to take out what major defenses they have almost instantly, making this a walk in the park from the rest of us."

"You're right Daria but there is problem I'm seeing right now." Diana mumbled from her spot beside Daria. "I don't see Andross anywhere; I thought you'd say he'd be there."

Todd pointed towards a reinforced building in the center of the base. "That is where Andross stays at all times. The only time I've seen him leave is when he arrived at the base."

"Sounds to me like he's scared." Diana said with a slight smile.

"You're probably right, he has a reason to be but it won't matter when we end him."

"Not before we rip off his dick and shove it up his ass." Torygg growled.

Diana heard Todd leans in close to Daria and whispered. "Are they always this aggressive?"

Daria smirked as she patted Todd on the shoulder. "Oh yeah, you get used to it, but in this case that aggression is going to come in handy."

Diana looked at Todd after poking him in the back getting him to turn and look at her. "Have you ever seen a Sharpscale in battle?"

"No, I haven't had the pleasure."

Torygg grinned devilishly. "Then you're in for a wild treat. We'll make sure anyone in our path suffers and gets cut to ribbons."

Todd smiled at Diana and Torygg. "Good, don't hold back against these bastards."

Before Diana or Torygg could reply a static call came from Daria's radio. Everyone turned and looked at her as she pulled it out and whispered a few words.

"Okay bro, we're in position as well, attack whenever you're ready." Daria replied than leaned over to the others. "The others are close and will commence a bombing run shortly."

"Good, certainly took them long enough to get here." Torygg mumbled.

"We've only been here ten minutes." Todd said with a smirk.

"That's ten minutes too long."

Diana shook her head as she checked her laser Gatling gun. Torygg had always been the anxious type when it came to combat, even more so than her. It was showing even more with Andross being their target. She was experiencing it just like him but she hid it better. All she had to do was waiting as it was only a matter of time before she'd be allowed to go all out on some Venom scum. Till that time Diana checked her Gatling gun and adjusted her position as she waited for the moment to come.

Just as Diana got comfortable she heard the sound of Arwing engines fast approaching. She looked up into the cloudy sky in the direction of the engine but saw nothing. With the lack of sun it was difficult to see anything in the sky, the cloud cover made it nearly impossible. Even the wind made it hard to her to ever hear the engines. After looking for a couple seconds she saw a group of five small objects break through the clouds, she immediately knew they were Arwings.

"Hey Todd, watch this." Diana heard Daria say to Todd with a smirk.

Diana watched closely as the Arwings flew at full bombing speed towards the base in a V formation, closing the distance in a matter of seconds. Once they were nearly on top of the base the Arwings suddenly nose-dived towards the ground, each firing a nova bomb before pulling back up. The bombs struck all over the Venom facility, detonating in massive explosions that set the area ablaze and threw debris in all directions.

"Damn, is it just me or did the Arwing's get an engine upgrade?" Todd said as the facility went up in flame.

"They did thanks to Fara. She made sure they had the most recent upgrades after the Saurian incident."

"Huh, you got to tell me about that after this."

"I'll let Fox, Krystal, or Peppy tell you, I wasn't there so I can't tell you exactly what happened."

Diana smirked as she looked down at the Venom base to see it covered in flames, making her smile. Very few things made her smile like seeing Andross Loyalist suffer, and from her position she could make out several burning alive and others already dead from the explosions. The initial bombing seemed to have destroyed most of the facility's buildings and fortifications. Most of the AA guns and defenses were already destroyed from what she could see, if there were any guards outside they were probably blown away though she could make out a few running around trying to get to whatever defenses they could and put out the fires.

"They're coming back around again." Torygg shouted, pointing up at the sky.

Diana looked in the direction Torygg pointed to see exactly what he said, the Arwings were indeed banking for what appeared to be a second bombing run. It was hard for her to sit there and watch as Fox and others had all the fun as they narrowed in on the facility. She still cheered watching the Arwings dive towards the facility again but the second time unleashing a volley of laser cannons, firing at everything in their path. The lasers cut through everything, blowing a path of destruction in their way. Though it only lasted a couple of seconds that pass all but destroyed the facility.

Once the Arwings had finished their pas Diana saw Todd stand up and shout to her and the others. "Are we going to let them have all the fun or are we going to wipe out some Venom scum?"

"Hell yeah we are." Torygg shouted as he raised his rocket launcher.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get down there and kick some Venomians ass."

Diana, Torygg, and Daria cheered a battle cry as Todd turned and took off running towards the burning Venom facility. The others didn't hesitate and immediately followed him. Despite the deep snow and thick armor she was wearing Diana had no trouble keeping up with Todd and Daria, who's smaller size made it easier for them to progress through the snow. They followed Todd down the slope to a snow bank near the outer fence surrounding the facility where they took cover. The Venomians hadn't noticed their approach yet as they were focused on the Arwings and putting out the fires. Todd took cover first with Daria positioning herself beside him and Diana coming in third and Torygg in last. Much to their surprise a watch tower was still standing with two occupants inside operating a large machine gun trying desperately to bring down the Arwings.

Todd pointed to the watch tower. "Torygg, it' all yours."

Torygg smiled devilishly. "With pleasure."

Torygg stepped out from cover and raised his rocket launcher to his shoulder. Taking quick aim he fired at the gunners near the top. The rocket flew into the watch tower and directly hit the machine gun, blowing the tower to pieces. Debris of wood and metal rained down all around them, thankfully the snow bank they took cover behind protected them.

"Nice shot big guy." Todd said, patting Torygg on the bank.

Torygg nodded as he reloaded the rocket launcher, slung it over his back, and withdrew his machine gun. Diana couldn't help but be a little jealous that he got to kill the first Venomians before she did. At least there were plenty of others for her to slaughter, as long as Fox and the others didn't kill them all.

Todd turned and looked at Daria, Diana, and Torygg. "We'll stick in fire teams upon entering the base. Daria, you and Diana stick together and are the primary breaching team while Torygg and I provide support."

"It'd be an honor to go first." Diana exclaimed as she turned to Daria. "You ready little vixen?"

"Ready when you are big woman."

Diana nodded then jumped over the snow bank with Daria by her side as Todd and Torygg provided security for them. Thankfully, the Arwings had done their job so well at distracting and destroying the enemy that they had no issue making it to the fence, what was left of it. Most of the fence on that side had been blown apart making it full of large holes for them to slide through. Daria slid through first with Diana providing cover. But just as Daria was halfway through Diana saw a Venomians soldier come running through the buildings and spot them. She wasted no time in raising her Gatling gun towards the Venomians and opening fire, the amount of rounds she fired in his direction cut him down instantly.

"Whoa, thanks Diana, I owe you one." Daria exclaimed once she made it through.

Diana shrugged. "Just doing my job."

Daria nodded then provided covered as Diana squeezed through. Due to her size she had a much harder time than Daria but still managed to get through with a lot of effort and three times as much time. She could hear Daria smirking watching her as she glanced back but didn't say a word. As soon as she was through she positioned herself beside Daria who waved to Todd and Torygg. Together, Diana and Daria kept a watchful eye out for any movement as their brothers made their way too them through the snow.

"You think they'll have as much trouble getting through as you did?" Daria sarcastically asked as she peered down the sights of her assault rifle.

"Todd definitely won't but for Torygg we may have to make a bigger hole."

"Hey, I heard that." Torygg shouted from behind them.

Diana quickly glanced over her shoulder to see Todd and Torygg had made it to the fence. She grinned at Torygg who was trying to squeeze through first but seemed to be having trouble. His rocket launcher kept getting caught each time he tried to get through the hole. Todd was trying to hold the rocket launcher so it didn't get caught but the hole was just wasn't quite big enough. It took Todd bending back the fence for Torygg to make it through after several failed attempts. But it wasn't over for Torygg who fell face first into the snow on the other side of the fence when he tried to step through, causing Diana to laugh.

"HEY WE GOT INTRUDERS!" Diana heard a reptilian voice shout.

Diana turned her head to see a Venomians guard standing on top of some rubble pointing at them. She wasted no time in turning her attention to the Venomians and opening fire just as Daria did. He was gunned down by two females at the same time, cutting him to shreds. Diana couldn't help but laugh watching his hole riddled body role down the pile of rubble.

"Well, I guess our cover is blown." Daria stated with a sigh. "Oh well, it was bound to happen sooner or later."

"That just makes this more fun." Torygg responded as he took position beside Diana. "Too bad most are probably already dead after the previous bombing runs."

"You're definitely right about that, I think that Fox and the others got a little carried away." Diana said with a smirk to Todd as the Arwings flew over again.

"I think he's just overzealous to kill Andross, then again who here isn't." Todd replied then turned to Daria. "It's probably a good idea to send them a message of our location before they blow us to bits."

"Knowing Fox, and especially Falco, yeah that's probably a good idea." Daria responded as she radioed Fox as an Arwing fly low overhead. "Hey Fox, we're at the outer East perimeter, watch your fire we're entering the facility now."

Just as Daria finished speaking into the radio Diana heard multiple Venomians accents approaching them. She immediately took cover behind a pile of debris and aimed her Gatling gun in the direction of the voices. Two buildings stood in front of them, both surprisingly lacking in terms of damage with a path between them that Diana believed the Venomians would progress through. Daria took the spot beside her and out of the corner of her eye she saw Torygg and Todd position themselves slightly behind them at an angle. After a few moments, Diana spotted Venom soldiers running through the debris towards them, through the path between the two buildings. She couldn't five, all armed and progressing not too carefully towards the guard she had killed earlier who laid at the bottom of a pile of rubble in the middle of the open area before them.

 _Just a little more._ Diana thought as she watched the Venomians cautiously make their way to their dead comrade.

As soon as they were all out in the open Diana squeezed the trigger, firing a large burst towards them. Almost immediately two of the Venom soldiers were cut down causing the other three to try to make it to cover. Daria fired almost immediately after Diana, hitting one of the soldiers in the head before he had a chance to realize what was going on. Todd fired next at the nearest soldier, hitting him twice in the chest and once I the head. The last soldier ran to take cover behind a nearby concrete barrier but, unfortunately for him, it was in Torygg's direction that fired a short burst that hit him multiple time. It lasted only a matter of seconds but in that short time five Venom soldiers laid dead before they really knew what hit them.

"That was almost too easy." Torygg said as he stood up. "I was expecting more of a challenge."

"So as I, too bad Star Fox's bombing run removed any challenge we'll probably face." Daria replied with a huff.

"Shows you how effective they are in the sky." Todd replied as he looked around them. "Looking at the damage I highly doubt we'll find any more guards roaming around. If there are any left they're probably hiding in the buildings."

"What buildings, almost all of them are destroyed, reduced to rubble." Torygg shouted.

"Not these two." Diana shouted as she pointed at the two buildings in front of them. "Surprisingly these two buildings are barely touched."

"That makes two of us. I guess some of the buildings were better reinforced than I thought. We have to check these two first." Todd said, pointed to the building on the left. "Daria, you and Diana take that building, Torygg and I will take the right."

Diana nodded then took running towards the nearest building with Daria following close behind her as Todd and Torygg ran towards the other building. She took the primary position at the front door while Daria positioned herself to the side. They remained in their position for a moment listening to see in anyone was inside the building. Diana picked up movement inside but she couldn't tell how many, it didn't sound like more than a few.

"You ready Diana?" Daria asked as she charged her weapon.

"Definitely I'm ready to murder some Venomians."

"About time."

Diana kicked the door down, easily knocking it off its hinges, and stepped through first opening fire at anything that moved. Her burst her fire was so aggressive that even though five guards were inside they were all almost gunned down immediately. Daria followed behind her and gunned down the remaining two before they had a chance to make it to cover. Within a couple seconds the room was empty but no signs of Andross or anyone significant.

"All clear, and all destroyed." Daria said with a smirk under her helmet.

Diana nodded as she turned around to exit the building followed by Daria. As soon as they were outside Torygg and Todd exited their building both with barrels smoking.

"You guys have any trouble in your building?" Daria asked.

"Nope, just two idiots who tried to shot us. I've forgotten how bad shots Venom soldiers are." Todd answered.

"Only two, we had five."

"Uh, guys, LOOK OUT!" Torygg shouted as pointed towards something in the sky them.

Diana looked up just in time to see a laser shot coming down from the sky at their direction. She wasted no time in grabbing Daria and yanking her behind cover as Torygg and Todd did the same. They made it behind a wall just as the laser hit the ground near where they were previously standing. The impact shock the ground, throwing dirt and concrete everywhere that rained down on them. Diana covered herself as best she could as she used her body to shield Daria from the debris. Her thick armor protected her easily with no debris penetrating through, most just bouncing off with little impact. Once the shower of debris ended she looked up to see an Arwing with blue strips flying overhead.

"Hey Falco, watch your fire, you almost hit us." Daria shouted into her radio as Diana let her go.

Diana could barely hear the reply but it sounded like Falco's voice on the other end. She couldn't make out what he was saying though she guessed that it was Falco trying to explain himself. Fortunately, Daria didn't seem to be taking any of his crap, a big reason why she respected the little vixen.

"Okay, just don't let it happen again or I'll sneak into your room while you sleep and yank out all your tail feathers." Daria shouted before turning off the radio with a smirk.

"How did you know that was Falco?" Diana asked.

"His Arwing is the only one with blue strips, makes it easy to tell when he makes mistakes."

"Which is pretty frequently I'm guessing."

"You have no idea." Daria replied with a smirk getting one from Diana as well.

Diana was about to reply when she heard Torygg and Todd's voice shouting for them. She and Daria nodded to each other and made their way towards the others to find them standing on the other side of the wall waving towards them. They ran to them, jumping over obstacles to see Todd and Torygg both kneeled down waiting for them.

"Hey, you two alright?" Todd shouted as Diana and Daria made their way to them.

"Yeah, we're fine, no injuries despite that idiotic bird." Diana replied.

"Good, we'll snap his neck later, right now we got other things that need our attention." Todd stood up and pointed towards a building behind them. "Andross and Colonel Flax should be in that building."

Diana turned in the direction he pointed to see a building that looked untouched by the bombing other than a few burn marks. It appeared to be pretty heavily reinforced to withstand bombing runs and other offensive moves. From the looks of it Diana easily guessed by the way it was reinforced that it was built to hold any important personnel, like Andross and Colonel Flax.

"You sure about that Todd?" Diana asked.

"Yes, that's the building I saw him go into when he arrived and not leave since. If he's not there than I have no idea where he would be."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's skin the bastard." Torygg shouted with a lot of enthusiasm.

Torygg took off running towards the building with Diana following close behind him. Todd and Daria followed them though had a hard time keeping up with two excited Sharpscale. As they ran Diana couldn't help but notice how empty the base seemed after such a short battle. It had only been a few minutes since Star Fox began bombed the facility and already there was hardly any resistance. Most, if not all the guards, were dead proving to Diana how effective their attack was, and how unprepared the Venomians were for an offensive. The plan went so smoothly, other than Falco nearly blowing them away, that she couldn't help but feel suspicious, as if they were walking into a trap or something bad was going to happen. However, her excitement to slaughter Andross and Colonel Flax made her push those thoughts aside for the time being.

"I'll get the door." Torygg said as he made it to the building's front door.

Diana didn't argue as she stopped beside the right side of the door. Todd stopped just behind her with Daria bringing up the rear. Torygg seemed to be nearly jumping in his place with excitement as he waited for the others to get ready. Diana didn't blame him one bit, she was experiencing the same thing but was containing it much better than her older brother. She could see that Daria was almost as excited as she was while Todd was nearly impossible to read with his emotionless stare. Everyone looked excited to some extent and ready to pounce on the ape.

"You guys ready to end this?" Diana said with a sadistic smile.

Diana saw Todd and Daria nod while Torygg gave her a thumb up. Before she could reach for the door she saw Torygg step back and ready himself for a kick. She took a step back and let him have the honor of bursting down the door. Torygg lunged forward with all his strength and launched such a powerful kick that the hinges stood no chance. The hinges broke with ease as the door went flying into the building.

 _Damn, I knew my brother could kick hard but, just, damn._ Diana thought as Torygg stepped back allowing the others to enter first.

Diana rushed in first followed by Todd, then Daria, and finally Torygg who brought up the rear security. What they saw surprised them as the room was empty other than some lab equipment and living furniture. The only other thing inside the room was a lone Venom military officer standing behind a radio trying to make a call. Diana immediately recognized the man as Colonel Flax who stopped what he was doing and turned around to look at them with a smug smile.

"So, this is the famous . . ." Colonel Flax general began shouting only for Diana's Gatling gun to cut him off.

Diana held down the trigger of her Gatling gun, spraying Colonel Flax with high-powered laser round after high-powered laser round at over a thousand rounds a minute. The lasers hit the Colonel all over the body, leaving large holes and spraying the wall behind him with his blood as they traveled through him. After holding down the trigger for nearly five seconds, Diana finally let go of the trigger, allowing Colonel Flax's hole filled body to fall to the floor.

"Damn, Diana, I think you missed a spot." Daria said with a smirk.

"Meh, I wanted to get a couple in his dick before he died but that wasn't the case apparently. Oh well, guess I can do that for Andross."

"Hey, you got to shoot Colonel Flax, I get Andross." Torygg shouted.

"That's fine with me, brother."

"We got to find him first." Daria exclaimed then turned to Todd. "So, Todd, where is Andross? We've searched or destroyed every building and yet no sign of him."

"I don't know, he should be here in this building. He hasn't left since the building since he arrived." Todd replied, appearing to take a moment to think before he spoke again. "Only explanation I can think of is he escaped during the confusion and is hiding somewhere."

"You think he could've made it to the hangar?" Torygg asked.

"Wouldn't do him any good, the hangar was destroyed in the first bombing run."

Diana was about to make a statement the ground suddenly started shaking. It was so sudden that everyone was nearly thrown off the feet. She couldn't determine what caused it but sounded like a rocket engine starting up nearby.

"What the hell is that?" Diana shouted as she grabbed a nearby table to stabilize her footing.

Once the shaking died down everyone rushed outside to see smoke coming from the far side of the hangar. They ran as fast as they could to get to the hangar only to see a small escape pod launching into the air. It appeared to be a one person pod large with some unusually large engines for such a small ship.

"Andross must be aboard that thing." Todd shouted.

Diana raised her Gatling gun and opened fire, firing accurately and directly hitting it. Her lasers do next to no damage, barely even leaving burn marks. Torygg tried the same with his rocket launcher but couldn't get a proper lock to make an accurate shot.

"Fox, that pod must contain Andross, take it out quickly." Daria shouted over the radio.

Diana was so distracted by the escape pod that she barely overheard Fox's reply. In the distance off she could see make every Arwing bank and fly towards the escape pod. She could only watch with hopeful intent as the five Arwing closed in as quickly as they could. Thankfully, the escape pod appeared to be slow moving in a single direction, making it an easy target.

Diana nearly jumped at the feeling of Daria's hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn around and look down at her. "Don't worry, that thing is basically a sitting duck. Andross will be dead in a matter of seconds . . . at most."

"You sure about that?"

"Of course, I know my brother and the others. They'll end it no pro . . ." Daria started to say only to pause when she saw something behind Diana.

Diana turned around and looked at the sky at the escape pod to see a bright, green light glowing from tip of the pod. A second later the light shot out towards the sky above the pod and exploded into such a bright light that Diana and the others had to cover their eyes. Once the light dimmed, Diana peered through her fingers and gasped at what as in the sky before them. A giant hole had opened up in the sky that she and everyone else could see through. Looking through she could see what looked like a jungle mountain range.

"What is that thing?" Torygg stuttered.

"That's . . . a wormhole." Daria stated.

"What can we do to stop it?"

"Hope that Fox and the others can destroy the pod before Andross reaches it. All we can do down here is watch."

Diana stood alongside Todd, Daria, and Torygg and watched with bated breath as Andross' pod neared the worm hole. Every second felt like an eternity as she held her breath to see Andross get closer to escape and Fox closer to taking him out. She tightened her grip on her Gatling gun, though she wouldn't need it, as Andross' pod became a dot almost upon entering the worm hole. She could see Fox get close and a light glowing from the nose telling her he was trying to lock onto the pod for an accurate shot. However, just as she assumed Fox had locked on the pod suddenly accelerated with a renewed rocket thrust towards the black hole. Fox fired but the pod accelerated so quickly and suddenly that the shot barely missed. All Diana and the others could do was watch as Andross flew into the worm hole and it closed immediately.

"Did that . . . really just happen?" Daria muttered as she stared blankly at the sky where the worm hole used to be.

Todd nodded as the worm hole closed. "Unfortunately, yes it did. Andross . . . it seems, has escaped."

"Wh . . . what does this mean?" Diana asked, looking back and forth between Daria and Todd.

Todd lowered his head and said with a sigh. "It means that a new war is probably about to begin."

To be continued.

* * *

So close, to come so close to taking out Andross once and for all but to fail. Even though the joy of the McCloud family being back together, and even bigger, the failure of missing Andross has got to weigh heavily on everyone. Despite his existence know being known no doubt it'll have repercussions all across the Lylat Systems. What will happen now that Andross is free and that the McCloud's are back together?

I know you were expecting more from the combat scene and I'm sorry if you thought it was lacking. As I said in the beginning author's notes the combat in this section was supposed to be realistic. After two bombing runs on such a small facility, first by Nova bombs and the second laser cannons, I don't think realistically there'd be much left. That's why through Diana's perspective I wrote it out the way I did.

Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.

Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.

This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.


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